How to pour
a sangiovese in
Put the bottle in the refrigerator for half an hour, or in an ice bucket with water and ice for fifteen minutes. Room temperature in a heated home quickly reaches twenty-one degrees, which brings out the alcohol and makes the freshness disappear. Between 16 and 18 degrees, the acidity of sangiovese keeps the tannin in balance.
Cut around the capsule just below the ridge of the neck and wipe the rim of the bottle clean. Place the spiral in the center of the cork and twist it straight down until just before the end, then pull the cork out in one smooth motion.
A young, simple sangiovese can go straight into the glass. A brunello or a riserva that still smells closed will usually open up after half an hour in a decanter. With an old bottle, pour slowly and leave the sediment in the bottle.
Fill the glass to about one-third. You need the space above to swirl, and with this grape, that makes the difference between tasting only the acidity and also smelling the cherry, herbs, and leather.
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The story
Sangiovese grows throughout Italy, but it is at home in Tuscany, where it has a different name in each region. In Montalcino, it is called Brunello and produces the fullest, longest-aging wine. In Montepulciano, it goes into Vino Nobile as Prugnolo Gentile. In Maremma, on the coast, it is called Morellino. And in Chianti, it is the main grape in a wine that is fresher and spicier rather than heavy. Clones, soil, and altitude make the difference, but the grape itself remains the same: high acidity, firm tannins, and that distinctive sour cherry.
The right glass
Sangiovese needs air, but not a gigantic bowl. Its acidity and tannins show best in a medium-sized bowl of roughly 45 to 55 cl, with a rim that curves slightly inward to keep the aromas concentrated. Our first choice is, according to the product description, literally shaped for this grape and comes as two mouth-blown glasses in a gift box; the second is the all-round size you reach for during the week. Compare them in the red wine glasses, while the really large bowls can be found among the large wine glasses.
Zwiesel Glas Enoteca Chianti Glass 55.3 cl in Gift Box (2 pieces)
Schott Zwiesel Classico Red Wine Glass 54.5 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 137,85.
The right tools
For a Sangiovese, besides the glass, you mainly need a corkscrew, and for a young Brunello or Riserva, a decanter to give the wine a little air. If the bottle is left standing, a wine stopper will keep it tasting good for another day or two. The bar tools below only come in handy if you turn it into a cocktail: a bar spoon for stirring and a jigger for measuring. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 115,80.
What do you pour alongside it?
Sangiovese rarely stands alone at the table. These are the wines served alongside it at an Italian meal, from a glass of prosecco beforehand to a brunello with the main course. On every drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
The same grape produces very different bottles. Chianti classico is fresh and spicy, with sour cherry and a spicy edge. Brunello di Montalcino is fuller and darker, and spends a long time ageing in wood. Vino nobile di Montepulciano falls somewhere in between in terms of weight. Morellino from the warm Maremma is rounder and smoother. And on the other side of the Apennines, in Romagna, the grape simply appears on the label as sangiovese. Want to read more? View all drinks and brands.
Serving tip
Sangiovese is a food wine. Its high acidity can taste sharp on its own, while with food it comes alive. Tomato sauce is the classic pairing, because the acidity in the sauce and the acidity in the glass balance each other. It also goes well with grilled beef, pecorino, salami and pasta with ragù. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees.
Good to know
Why sangiovese tastes so acidic
Sangiovese ripens late and retains much of its natural acidity, even when the sugars are already at the right level. In the glass, you notice this as a fresh, almost tingling opening and a long, dry finish. That acidity is not a flaw but the reason the wine works so well with food: it cuts through fat and salt and makes the next bite feel light again.
The same grape, different names
In Montalcino, sangiovese is called brunello; in Montepulciano, prugnolo gentile; and in the Maremma, morellino. These are local names and local selections of the same grape, not different varieties. That explains why a brunello and a morellino are related yet taste so different in the glass: the soil, altitude and maturation determine the rest.
What tannins do in your mouth
Tannin comes from the skin, seeds and wood and binds to the proteins in your saliva. This makes your mouth feel dry and slightly rough. With meat, mature cheese or a rich sauce, the tannin binds to those instead, and that dry sensation disappears. Sangiovese has plenty of it, making it a typical food wine.
Why 16 to 18 degrees and not room temperature
The old rule of serving wine at room temperature comes from homes that were considerably colder than ours. Above twenty degrees, sangiovese starts to smell broad and alcoholic and loses its freshness. Half an hour in the refrigerator usually brings a room-temperature bottle into the right zone. Too cold is not pleasant either, because the tannins then feel harsh.
How much alcohol it contains and how long it keeps
Sangiovese usually contains roughly 12.5 to 14.5 percent alcohol; the percentage is stated on the label. An everyday bottle is best drunk within a few years, while a riserva or brunello can be aged for years. Once opened, a bottle will keep its flavor for another two to three days in the refrigerator with a stopper, and you should take it out of the cold again shortly before serving.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is sangiovese?
Sangiovese is not a wine but a grape, Italy's most widely planted red grape. Its wines are medium-bodied, high in acidity and firm in tannins, with flavors of sour cherry, plum, tomato leaf, tea and leather. Chianti, brunello and vino nobile are all made from this grape.
Is chianti the same as sangiovese?
Not quite. Chianti is a region in Tuscany, and the wine that comes from there consists mostly of sangiovese, with a prescribed minimum proportion and room for a few other grapes alongside it. Sangiovese is the grape itself, which is also planted outside Chianti and even outside Tuscany.
At what temperature and in what glass do you serve sangiovese?
At 16 to 18 degrees, so slightly cooler than the room temperature of a heated home. Use a medium-sized glass of roughly 45 to 55 cl with a rim that narrows slightly, allowing the wine to breathe without letting the aroma blow away immediately.
What do you eat with sangiovese?
Anything containing tomato, salt or fat. Pasta with tomato sauce or ragù, pizza, grilled beef, salami and pecorino are the obvious choices. The high acidity means the wine comes into its own at the table better than when drunk alone on the sofa.
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