Sangiovese red wine variety in Australia

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Sangiovese is one of the stars of the Italian wine grape varieties now making their mark in Australia. The variety is regarded as being suitable for cultivation in a number of Australian wine regions.

Jancis Robinson in her excellent 1986 work, Vines Grapes and Wines, claims that the variety was plagued by a multitude of subvarieties of varying quality. Wines made from the variety could range from very ordinary to excellent.

The vagaries of the rules for the grape varieties permitted in Chianti have added to the broad range of quality of this particular wine. Now growers and winemakers are more conscious of using the better clones or subvarieties. The result is better wine and wider acceptance of the variety.

Since the 1970s the rules have been extended to allow a blending of up 10 percent of other varieties. It was soon discovered that the use of Cabernet Sauvignon as the minor component with Sangiovese leads to outstanding results.

Sangiovese is the only variety permitted in the famous wines from Brunello di Montalcino, which are regarded as among Italy's best. They're made a strain of Sangiovese Grosso called Brunello ("little dark one"), so named for the brown hue of its skin. Although these wines are grown and made in Tuscany they are big, deep-colored, and powerful, with enough tannins and structure to warrant considerable cellaring. Over recent years there has been increased plantings and interest in the variety in California.

Sangiovese in Australia

The Sangiovese variety has only been used in any quantity in Australia over recent years. It has been tried in most regions in Eastern Australia

It is comparatively scarce in WA, perhaps because of the mix up a few years ago when some WA wineries, including Howard Park planted what they thought were Sangiovese vines but they turned out to be Carnelian As the list below shows the Sangiovese variety has become extremely popular. By 2009, there were over 200 Australian wineries using this exciting Italian variety.

Some commentators believe that many plantings of Sangiovese made during the 1990s were of inferior clones. If this is the case we should expect to see some better wines in the future as newer Sangiovese vineyards come into production and others are grafted over to better clones.

Australian Wineries using Sangiovese

  • 919 Wines Riverland
  • A Retief Southern New South Wales Zone
  • Aldinga Bay McLaren Vale
  • All Saints Estate Rutherglen
  • Amadio Adelaide Hills
  • Amulet Vineyard Beechworth
  • Anderson Winery Rutherglen
  • Andrew Peace Wines Swan Hill
  • Angullong Wines Orange
  • Avalon Wines King Valley
  • Aventine Wines Granite Belt
  • Avonmore Estate Bendigo
  • Barrecas Geographe
  • Barton Creek Central Ranges Zone
  • Barton Estate Canberra
  • Belalie Bend Southern Flinders Region
  • Belgrave Park Winery South Coast Zone
  • Belgravia Vineyards Orange
  • Benwarin Wines Hunter Valley
  • Bimbadgen Estate Hunter Valley
  • Blackford Stable Wines Adelaide Hills
  • Blue Metal Vineyard Southern Highlands
  • Boggy Creek Vineyards King Valley
  • Bottin Wines McLaren Vale
  • Boyntons Feathertop Alpine Valleys
  • Brindabella Hills Canberra
  • Broken Gate Wines Heathcote
  • Brokenwood Wines Hunter Valley
  • Brown Brothers King Valley
  • Burnbrae Winery Mudgee
  • Cape Mentelle Margaret River
  • Capel Vale Geographe
  • Capital Wines Canberra
  • Cardinam Estate Clare Valley
  • Carlei Estate Yarra Valley
  • Carpe Diem Margaret River
  • Casella Riverina
  • Castagna Vineyard Beechworth
  • Catspaw Farm Granite Belt
  • Ceravolo Premium Wines Adelaide Plains
  • Chain of Ponds Adelaide Hills
  • Chalk Hill Winery McLaren Vale
  • Chalmers Murray Darling
  • Chapel Hill McLaren Vale
  • Charlatan Wines McLaren Vale
  • Chrismont King Valley
  • Ciccone Estate King Valley
  • Clearview Estate Mudgee Mudgee
  • Clovely Estate South Burnett
  • Cofield Wines Rutherglen
  • Colvin Wines Hunter Valley
  • Condie Heathcote
  • Connor Park Bendigo
  • Copper Bull Yarra Valley
  • Coriole McLaren Vale
  • Counterpoint Vineyard Pyrenees
  • Crittenden at Dromana Mornington Peninsula
  • Crooked River Wines Shoalhaven Coast
  • Dal Zotto Estate King Valley
  • Dalfaras Nagambie Lakes
  • Deviation Road Adelaide Hills
  • Di Lusso Estate Mudgee
  • Domain Day Barossa Valley
  • Dominic Versace Wines Adelaide Plains
  • Doonkuna Wines Canberra
  • Drakesbrook Wines Peel
  • Drews Creek Wines Hunter Valley
  • Dromana Estate Mornington Peninsula
  • Edwards and Chaffey McLaren Vale
  • Eldredge Clare Valley
  • Farrell Estate Murray Darling
  • Fighting Gully Road Beechworth
  • Flat View Vineyard Clare Valley
  • Flying Duck Estate King Valley
  • Flying Fish Cove Margaret River
  • Flynn's Wines Heathcote
  • Foster e Rocco Bendigo
  • Four Winds Vineyard Canberra
  • Galli Estate Sunbury
  • Gemtree Vineyards McLaren Vale
  • Geographe Wines Geographe
  • Giant Steps Yarra Valley
  • Gin Gin Wines Queensland Coastal
  • Glenguin Hunter Valley
  • Goombaronga Park Alpine Valleys
  • Gracebrook Vineyards King Valley
  • Greenstone Vineyard Heathcote
  • Greg Cooley Clare
  • Grove Estate Wines Hilltops
  • Hamiltons Bluff Cowra
  • Hay Shed Hill Wines Margaret River
  • Heartland Wines Limestone Coast Zone
  • Hollick Wines Coonawarra
  • Hopwood Winery Goulburn Valley
  • Howard Park Wines Margaret River
  • Hugh Hamilton McLaren Vale
  • Indigo Wine Company Beechworth
  • Innocent Bystander Yarra Valley
  • Jinks Creek Winery Gippsland
  • Joadja Vineyards Southern Highlands
  • Jylland Vineyard Central Western Australian Zone
  • Kangarilla Road McLaren Vale
  • Katoa Wines Heathcote
  • Kevin Sobels Wines Hunter Valley
  • King River Estate King Valley
  • Kingsley Grove South Burnett
  • Knots Wines Heathcote
  • Koltz McLaren Vale
  • La Cantina King Valley King Valley
  • Lark Hill Winery Canberra
  • Last Word Wines Clare Valley
  • Lethbridge Wines Geelong
  • Little Bridge Canberra
  • Little Wine Company Hunter Valley
  • Lowe Family Wines Mudgee
  • Macquarie Grove Vineyards Western Plains
  • Mad Dog Wines Barossa Valley
  • MadFish Wines Margaret River
  • Maglieri McLaren Vale
  • Massoni Pyrenees
  • Mayfield Vineyard Orange
  • McCrae Mist Wines Mornington Peninsula
  • McIvor Estate Heathcote
  • Melross Estate Pyrenees
  • Michael Unwin Wines Grampians
  • Michelini Alpine Valleys
  • Minnow Creek McLaren Vale
  • Mitchell Clare Valley
  • Mitolo McLaren Vale
  • Moama Wines Perricoota
  • Monichino Wines Goulburn Valley
  • Montefalco Vineyard Porongurup
  • Monument Vineyard Central Ranges Zone
  • Mopoke Ridge Winery Shoalhaven Coast
  • Moppity Vineyards Hilltops
  • Mount Burrumboot Estate Heathcote
  • Mount Langi Ghiran Vineyards Grampians
  • Mount Vincent Estate Hunter Valley
  • Mulligan Wongara Vineyard Cowra
  • Mulyan Cowra
  • Neagles Rock Vineyards Clare Valley
  • New Glory Goulburn Valley
  • Nova Vita Wines Adelaide Hills
  • Nugan Estate King Valley
  • Oakvale Hunter Valley
  • Pankhurst Wines Canberra
  • Pasut Family Wines Murray Darling
  • Paulmara Estate Barossa Valley
  • Pengally Lane Wines Bendigo
  • Penmara Hunter Valley
  • Perrini Estate Adelaide Hills
  • Piako Vineyards Murray Darling
  • Pialligo Estate Canberra
  • Piggs Peake Winery Hunter Valley
  • Pikes Clare Valley
  • Pindarie Wines Barossa Valley
  • Piromit Wines Riverina
  • Pizzini Wines King Valley
  • Plantagenet Mount Barker
  • Poet's Corner Mudgee
  • Pokolbin Estate Hunter Valley
  • Politini King Valley
  • Primo Estate Adelaide Plains
  • Prince Hill Wines Mudgee
  • Pycnantha Hill Estate Clare Valley
  • Quealy Mornington Peninsula
  • Racecourse Lane Wines Hunter Valley
  • Ravensworth Wines Canberra
  • Remarkable View Winery Southern Flinders Region
  • Rigel Wines Mornington Peninsula
  • Rimfire Vineyards Darling Downs
  • Ringer Reef Winery Alpine Valleys
  • Riverbank Estate Swan Valley
  • Roberts Estate Murray Darling
  • Rojo Wines Port Phillip Zone
  • Rookery Wines Kangaroo Island
  • Ruane Winery Southern Highlands
  • Rutherglen Estates Rutherglen
  • Salena Estate Riverland
  • Salisbury Winery Murray Darling
  • Scaffidi Estate Adelaide Hills
  • Scott Winemaking Barossa Valley
  • Seaview McLaren Vale
  • Sedona Estate Upper Goulburn
  • Serenella Estate Hunter Valley
  • Settlers Ridge Margaret River
  • Sevenoaks Wines Hunter Valley
  • Severn Brae Estate Granite Belt
  • Shadowfax Vineyard and Winery Geelong
  • Shays Flat Vineyard Pyrenees
  • Sherwood Estate Hastings River
  • Silverfox Wines Perricoota
  • Skimstone Mudgee
  • Southern Highland Wines Southern Highlands
  • St Ignatius Vineyard Pyrenees
  • Starvedog Lane Adelaide Hills
  • Stella Bella Margaret River
  • Stevens Brook Estate Perricoota
  • Stone Bridge Estate Manjimup
  • Stonehaven Padthaway
  • Stumpy Gully Mornington Peninsula
  • Sutton Grange Winery Bendigo
  • Swings & Roundabouts Margaret River
  • Tahbilk Nagambie Lakes
  • Tall Poppy Murray Darling
  • Tallis Wine Company Goulburn Valley
  • Taltarni Pyrenees
  • Talunga Adelaide Hills
  • Tannery Lane Bendigo
  • Tar and Roses Nagambie Lakes
  • Tatachilla McLaren Vale
  • Tatehams Wines Clare Valley
  • Tempus Two Hunter Valley
  • Tenafeate Creek Wines Adelaide Plains
  • The Deanery Vineyards Adelaide Hills
  • The Islander Estate Vineyards Kangaroo Island
  • The Pawn Wine Company Langhorne Creek
  • Tilbrook Estate Adelaide Hills
  • Tintara McLaren Vale
  • Tintilla Wines Hunter Valley
  • Tombstone Estate Western Plains
  • Toombullup North King Valley
  • Torzi Matthews Eden Valley
  • Totino Wines Adelaide Hills
  • Tower Estate Hunter Valley
  • Two Italian Boys Riverina
  • Uleybury Wines Adelaide Zone
  • Vale Creek Wines Central Ranges Zone
  • Varrenti Wines Grampians
  • Vasarelli Currency Creek
  • Vinea Marson Heathcote
  • Vintara Rutherglen
  • Virgara Wines Adelaide Plains
  • W Wine of Mudgee Mudgee
  • Warrenmang Vineyard Pyrenees
  • Watchbox Wines Rutherglen
  • Whistling Eagle Wines Heathcote
  • Windemere Wines Granite Belt
  • Windowrie Estate Cowra
  • Wine By Brad Margaret River
  • Wise Wine Margaret River
  • Wood Park King Valley
  • Woolybud Kangaroo Island
  • Yalumba Wine Company Barossa Valley
  • Yanmah Ridge Manjimup
  • Yarra Yering Yarra Valley
  • Yarrh Wines Canberra
  • Zilzie Wines Murray Darling
  • Zonte's Footstep Langhorne Creek

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Remember Chianti?

It was the stuff we used to get in raffia wrapped bottles. The wine was cheap and ordinary but the bottle was very handy as a candle holder.

Chianti is a more serious wine than that these days.

In Tuscany you are much more likely to find it in a respectable Bordeaux shaped bottle with a conservative, low-key label telling you that this not just a fun drink.

Varieties described on this site

Aglianico | Albarino | Aleatico | Alicante Bouchet | Aligote | Aranel | Arneis | Aucerot | Baco noir | Barbera | Bastardo | Biancone | Bianco d'Alessano | Black frontignac | Brachetto | Cabernet Franc | Carignan | Carina | Carmenere | Carnelian | Chambourcin | Chasselas | Chenin blanc | Cienna | Cinsaut | Clairette | Colombard | Cortese | Corvina | Counoise | Crouchen | Cygne blanc | Dolcetto | Doradillo | Durif | Fiano | Flora | Fragola | Furmint | Gamay | Garganega | Gewurztraminer | Gouais blanc | Graciano | Greco di Tufo | Grenache | Grenache gris | Gruner Veltliner | Harslevelu | Jacquez | Kerner | Lagrein | Lemberger | Lexia |
Malbec | Malian | Malvasia | Marsanne | Marzemino | Mataro | Mavrodaphne | Melon de Bourgogne | (Pinot) Meunier | Mondeuse | Montepulciano | Moscata paradiso | Moscato | | Mourvedre | Muller Thurgau | | Muscadelle | Muscat |
Nebbiolo | Negroamaro | Nero d'Avola | Norton | Ondenc | Orange muscat | Palomino | Pedro Ximenez | Petit manseng | Petit Meslier | Petit verdot | Picolit | Picpoul | Pinot blanc | Pinot grigio/gris | Pinotage | Prosecco | Refosco | Riesling | Rondinella | Roussanne | Rubienne |
Sagrantino | Sangiovese | Saperavi | Savagnin | Schonburger | Shalistin | Siegerrebe | Souzao | Sylvaner | Taminga | Tannat | Tarrango | Tempranillo | Teroldego | Tinta amarella | Tinta Negra Molle | Tinto Cao | Trebbiano | Touriga | Trollinger | Tyrian | Verdelho | Verduzzo | Vermentino | Villard blanc | Viognier | Zante | Zibibbo | Zinfandel |

Sangiovese and Food

You can get some ideas for using wines made this versatile grape variety from the free ebook 10 dishes for Sangiovese.available to Vinodiversity newsletter subscribers only.

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