What is Sangiovese?
Sangiovese is a red wine style best understood through its balance of fruit, freshness, body, tannin, sweetness and texture. Italy’s signature red grape style: bright acidity, red fruit and savoury tannin. Typical flavours include sour cherry, tomato leaf, herbs, savoury spice.
Tuscany, Romagna, Umbria
Sangiovese
Medium Red · 12.5-14.5%
Style profile
Grapes, regions and character
Sangiovese is commonly associated with Sangiovese. The grape choice shapes the wine’s aroma, structure, acidity, body and food-pairing personality. Classic regions include Tuscany, Romagna, Umbria.
Tuscany, Romagna, Umbria
Italy
What does Sangiovese pair well with?
Pair Sangiovese by matching the wine’s weight, acidity, sweetness and tannin to the dish. It works especially well with ragù, baked pasta, tomato dishes, grilled meats. It is usually less successful with delicate seafood.
Best food matches
Pairings to avoid
What makes a good or bad Sangiovese?
A good Sangiovese should taste balanced, expressive and clean. Look for clear fruit, freshness, structure and a finish that suits the style. The acidity is usually high, so the wine should feel lively without becoming harsh. The body is usually medium, so it should match the weight expected from this style.
A poor Sangiovese can taste flat, tired, harsh, thin, overly sweet, too alcoholic or unbalanced. Avoid bottles where oak, bitterness, heat or sweetness dominate the fruit, freshness and structure.
When buying Sangiovese, look for bottles where the region, grape and producer style match the food you want to cook. Useful countries to look at include Italy.
Serve Sangiovese at around 15-17°C. Serving temperature matters because too warm can make wine feel heavy, while too cold can mute flavour.
