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Sangiovese di Romagna
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Classification: DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata - Quality Wines Produced in a Specific Region)
Color: ruby red, sometimes with purplish streaks
Production zone: Emilia Romagna
Minimum alcohol content: 11.5%
Varieties used: Sangiovese (85-100%), other red-grape varieties (0-15%) |
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ROMAGNA BY NAME AND BY NATURE |
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This variety represents one of the greatest resources available to Italian viticulturists. It is cultivated in various areas the length and breadth of Italy, and always has the ability to create robust, earthy wines.
In Romagna this wine is part and parcel of local pride and tradition, starting with the study of the place-name. Its name in fact appears to have been coined by a community of Capuchin monks who lived in a monastery near the town of Sant'Angelo di Romagna and produced a superb red wine. The story goes that an illustrious guest at the monastery was so enchanted by the nectar that he asked his hosts its name and, since the hill on which the monastery then stood was known as collis Jovis (hill of Jupiter), one of the monks volunteered the name sanguis Jovis, a name which over the centuries changed to Sangue di Giove (Jupiter's blood) and then naturally to "Sangiovese".
The wine has a striking ruby red color, sometimes with purplish streaks. The nose is vinous, enriched by a delicate fragrance at times reminiscent of violets. The palate is dry, harmonious, at times tannic, with a pleasantly bitterish aftertaste.
To qualify for the superiore title, the wine must have a minimum alcohol content of 12% and cannot be released for sale before 1st April after harvest. The riserva type on the other hand must be aged for a minimum of 2 years, beginning from 1st January after harvest.
The novello or nouveau type, made with at least 50% wine obtained through carbonic maceration1 of grapes, is an astonishing explosion of fragrances, colors and youthful exuberance that ought to be appreciated on a greater scale.
In culinary terms, Sangiovese goes well with produce of the land and is particularly good with pasta dishes and sauces traditional to the Romagna region and further afield. Try it with Spaghetti alla puttanesca, with a sauce of black olives, capers, anchovies, tomato and chilli pepper. If you want to get to know this wine better, at Predappio there is Ca' de Sanz'Ves, an enoteca run by an association set up to promote and safeguard wines from the Romagna region. A visit here is a must ...
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