Australian Wine from
Alternative Grape Varieties

Alternative varietal wines in Australia

Sangiovese - Jupiter's Blood


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. So we will see more of these wines in the future.

The name looks like it comes from an Italian saint, but apparently it derives from Sanguis Jovis or 'Jupiter's Blood.' It is the major variety in the Tuscan region and thus Chianti wine.

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.

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 a number of regions, most notably in the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale, but there is increasing interest in several Victorian districts, in Mudgee and as far north as Queensland.

It is compartively 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 2007, there were about 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 vineyards come into production.

  • Abbey Rock Wines Adelaide Hills
  • Aldinga Bay McLaren Vale
  • Amadio Adelaide Hills
  • Amulet Vineyard Beechworth
  • Anderson Winery Rutherglen
  • Andrew Peace Wines Swan Hill
  • Angas Vineyards Langhorne Creek
  • Angullong Wines Orange
  • Avalon Wines King Valley
  • Aventine Wines Granite Belt
  • Avonmore Estate Bendigo
  • Barton Estate Canberra
  • Belalie Bend Southern Flinders Ranges
  • Benwarin Wines Hunter Valley
  • Bimbadgen Estate Hunter Valley
  • Blue Metal Vineyard Southern Highlands
  • Boggy Creek Vineyards King Valley
  • Bottin Wines McLaren Vale
  • 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
  • Cardinam Estate Clare Valley
  • Casella Riverina
  • Castagna Vineyard Beechworth
  • Catspaw Farm Granite Belt
  • Ceravolo Premium Wines Adelaide Plains
  • Chain of Ponds Adelaide Hills
  • Chalk Hill Winery McLaren Vale
  • Chapel Hill McLaren Vale
  • Chrismont King Valley
  • Ciccone Estate King Valley
  • Clearview Estate Mudgee Mudgee
  • Cofield Wines Rutherglen
  • Colvin Wines Hunter Valley
  • 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
  • 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
  • Flynn's Wines Heathcote
  • Four Winds Vineyard Canberra
  • Galli Estate Sunbury
  • Gemtree Vineyards McLaren Vale
  • Geographe Wines Geographe
  • Gin Gin Wines Queensland Coastal
  • Glenguin Hunter Valley
  • Goombaronga Park Alpine Valleys
  • Gracebrook Vineyards King Valley
  • Greenstone Vineyard Heathcote
  • Grove Estate Wines Hilltops
  • Hamiltons Bluff Cowra
  • Heartland Wines Limestone Coast
  • Hollick Wines Coonawarra
  • Hopwood Winery Goulburn Valley
  • Hugh Hamilton McLaren Vale
  • Innocent Bystander Yarra Valley
  • Jinks Creek Winery Gippsland
  • Joadja Vineyards Southern Highlands
  • Jylland Vineyard Central Western Australian Zone
  • Kangarilla Road McLaren Vale
  • Kevin Sobels Wines Hunter Valley
  • King River Estate King Valley
  • Kingsley Grove South Burnett
  • Koltz McLaren Vale
  • La Cantina King Valley King Valley
  • Lethbridge Wines Geelong
  • Little Bridge Canberra
  • Little Wine Company Hunter Valley
  • Lowe Family Wines Mudgee
  • Mad Dog Wines Barossa Valley
  • 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
  • Moama Wines Perricoota
  • Monichino Wines Goulburn Valley
  • Monument Vineyard Central Ranges Zone
  • Mopoke Ridge Winery Shoalhaven Coast
  • Mount Burrumboot Estate Heathcote
  • Mount Langi Ghiran Vineyards Grampians
  • Mount Vincent Estate Hunter Valley
  • Mulligan Wongara Vineyard Cowra
  • Mulyan Cowra
  • Murray Darling Collection Murray Darling
  • Neagles Rock Vineyards Clare Valley
  • New Glory Goulburn Valley
  • Nugan Estate King Valley
  • Oakvale Hunter Valley
  • Oakworks Wines Riverland
  • Pasut Family Wines Murray Darling
  • Paulmara Estate Barossa Valley
  • 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
  • Pobblebonk Mornington Peninsula
  • Poet's Corner Mudgee
  • Pokolbin Estate Hunter Valley
  • Politini King Valley
  • Primo Estate Adelaide Plains
  • Prince Hill Wines Mudgee
  • Pycnantha Hill Estate Clare Valley
  • Racecourse Lane Wines Hunter Valley
  • Ravensworth Wines Canberra
  • Remarkable View Winery Southern Flinders Region
  • Rigel Wines Mornington Peninsula
  • Rimfire Vineyards Darling Downs
  • Riverbank Estate Swan Valley
  • Roberts Estate Murray Darling
  • Rojo Wines Port Phillip Zone
  • Rookery Wines Kangaroo Island
  • Rutherglen Estates Rutherglen
  • Salisbury Winery Murray Darling
  • Scaffidi Estate Adelaide Hills
  • 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
  • Southern Highland Wines Southern Highlands
  • St Ignatius Vineyard Pyrenees
  • Starvedog Lane McLaren Vale
  • Stella Bella Margaret River
  • Stevens Brook Estate Perricoota
  • Stone Bridge Estate Manjimup
  • Stonehaven Padthaway
  • Stumpy Gully Mornington Peninsula
  • Sutton Grange Winery Bendigo
  • Swings and Roundabouts Margaret River
  • Tahbilk Nagambie Lakes
  • Tall Poppy Murray Darling
  • Tallis Wine Company Goulburn Valley
  • Talunga Adelaide Hills
  • Tandou Riverland
  • 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 Pawn Wine Company Langhorne Creek
  • Tilbrook Estate Adelaide Hills
  • Tintilla Wines Hunter Valley
  • Tombstone Estate Western Plains
  • Totino Wines Adelaide Hills
  • Tower Estate Hunter Valley
  • Uleybury Wines Adelaide Zone
  • Vale Creek Wines Central Ranges Zone
  • Varrenti Wines Grampians
  • Vasarelli Currency Creek
  • Versace Wines Adelaide Plains
  • Vinea Marson Heathcote
  • Vintara Rutherglen
  • Virgara Wines Adelaide Plains
  • Warrenmang Vineyard Pyrenees
  • Whistling Eagle Wines Heathcote
  • Windemere Wines Granite Belt
  • Windowrie Estate Cowra
  • Wise Wine Margaret River
  • Wombats Run 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

This list is growing as more growers, winemakers and wine drinkers discover that 'something different' about Sangiovese.

TV Chef and Mildura enthusiast Stefano Di Piero is a great fan of this variety. The Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show, now a broad based annual event in Mildura, began life in 1999 as a Sangiovese competition organised by Stefano and a few friends.

Pairing food with Sangiovese is not too hard, just think Italian. Any meal with a Mediterranean style will be improved with a bottle of Sangiovese. Pastas, better still antipastos, are the go. They are great wines for informal meals, picnics and bbqs. But you really need to have some food, even if it is just a plate of olives and some cheese.

Here are some more food pairing ideas and recipes for Sangiovese

In Australia the variety is sometimes blended successfully with other red varieties, notably Shiraz.

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Boutique Wineries

Boutique Wineries have a great range of Alternative Varietal Wines


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