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Thursday, June 4, 2020

A Sangiovese by any other Name is still a Dang Good Wine #ItalianFWT

Any trip to an Italian Restaurant has me ordering up a glass of Chianti to enjoy with my dinner.  I also buy Chianti to enjoy at home.  Chianti is made from Sangiovese grapes or a blend containing 80% Sangiovese Grapes.   Italy names it's wines after the area in which the wine is produced.  Hence, Chianti is made in Chianti located in Tuscany.

wine

So Chianti is always Sangiovese but Sangiovese is not always Chianti........

I think that Wikepedia can explain this much better than I.  So let's take a look at what they have to say about Sangiovese.

Sangiovese (/ˌsændʒoʊˈveɪzi/, also UK: /-dʒioʊˈ-, -dʒiəˈ-/,[1][2] US: /ˌsɑːn-, ˌsɑːndʒoʊˈviːz, -ˈviːs/,[3][4] Italian: [sandʒoˈveːze]) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jupiter".[5] Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grape in Tuscany),[6][circular reference] Campania and Sicily, outside Italy it is most famous as the only component of Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino and the main component of the blends Chianti, Carmignano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Morellino di Scansano, although it can also be used to make varietal wines such as Sangiovese di Romagna and the modern "Super Tuscan" wines like Tignanello.[7]

I love Chianti wine and I have had "new world" Sangiovese made here in the USA that I loved as well.  This got me thinking about Sangiovese from other parts of Italy and wondering how they compare to the Chianti that we all know and love.

I asked the members of our Italian Food Wine and Travel group to join me this month exploring Sangiovese around Italy and talk about their findings during a live Twitter Chat on Saturday, June 6th at 11 AM ET.  If you are a wine lover and want to learn more about Sangiovese, please join us following #ItalianFWT.

Here are the topics we will be discussing........


I ordered up a bottle of Fanti Poggio Torto Toscana Rosso 2018, a Sangiovese from Tuscany outside of Chianti.  This wine is made at a small estated located in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, an iconic village outside Montalcino.

dinner plate and wine

I opened this bottle one night to share with my sister in law, Jackie, who is a wine lover along with me.  She and my brother had brought their grandson over to swim in our pool.  We threw some Italian Sausages on the grill along with onions and peppers to make sandwiches.  I heated up some canned baked beans and that was dinner.  

I decided that this wine would be good with this casual fare so brought it to our poolside table along with some plastic glasses.  It was perfect.

The wine pours a dark ruby, it is smooth and dry.  Like all Sangiovese, it was very food friendly.  Medium bodied and perfect with the spiciness of the Italian Sausage.  

I'm looking forward to seeing you at chat on Saturday, please join us.

16 comments:

  1. I am eager to read more about Sangiovese. I have learned tons about this grape and I am loving the new j formation!

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  2. Thanks for hosting, Wendy. I was able to find a Sangiovese blend from a different part of Italy and was thrilled with my pairing.

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  3. Thank you so much for hosting Wendy. This was a great dive into Sangiovese. I love that this wine is so approachable and can pair with so many different foods.

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    1. It is really so food friendly...Love that about this wine.

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  4. Sangiovese and grilled sausages sounds like a great way to enjoy the evening.

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  5. Thanks for hosting Wendy! I've been a fan of Sangiovese and enjoyed tasting Sangiovese from other regions in Tuscany beyond Chianti.

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  6. Thanks for hosting Wendy...cool that you found this Sangiovese from the Montalcino area...looks like a fab pairing there also.

    Cheers!

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  7. Looks like a fun pairing. Thanks for hosting!

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  8. So many names, so little time. I absolutely loved this exploration of Sangiovese.

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