18 Apr Cellar Sessions #2: Sangiovese
With thousands of grape varieties out there, about 1,300 of which are used to make wine commercially, we don’t blame you if you find it tricky to identify your Pinot Noir’s from your Pinotage’s. That’s why we’re introducing a new monthly blog, Cellar Sessions, that will focus on the diverse range of wine varieties we grow for Fairview wines, so you can actually find these varieties easily wherever you are in the world, and get to know your grape a little bit better. Just remember that we are speaking in relatively general terms, and there is always room for discrepancies!
So gather around, fellow wine lovers! Our second session starts with an Italian stallion – Sangiovese!
The Basics:
Grape Variety: Sangiovese (sahn/djoh/VEH/zeh)
Origin: Italy
Style: Dry red wine
Colour: Ruby red
Aromas & Flavour: Savoury, maraschino cherries, cloves, tomato
Key Regions Planted: Italy, Corsica, Argentina, US
Food pairing: Think Italian foods – rich roasted meat, cured sausages and hard cheeses. Bellissimo!
Fairview Wines: La Capra Sangiovese and Homtini
Sangio-who? Outside of its native home of Italy, Sangiovese is actually quite scarse. So we’re proud to be able to grow and work with this champion red grape variety. Known as a more savoury grape, Sangiovese wines offer a wide range of tastes from very earthy to round and fruit-forward. Regardless of where it’s grown, it always exhibits cherry flavors with more delicate notes of tomato. We first spotted Sangiovese when we brought our Darling vineyard – and we liked what we found! Our Sangiovese works very well in the cooler Atlantic region of Darling, bringing forward a vibrant fruit and fresh acidity.
With our very own Italian descendant here on the farm, chief winemaker Anthony de Jager, it came as a natural evolution to release a Sangiovese-based blend called Homtini. Having quickly risen in popularity since its maiden 2014 vintage, the wine is now loved not only for its outstanding flavour but also for its wallpaper-inspiring label! If you’d like to try this grape variety as a single variety, our La Capra Sangiovese is the perfect opportunity to do so, and is absolutely perfecto with tomato-based sauces like marinara and pasta dishes.
La Capra Sangiovese is available for R50 a bottle, click here.
Fairview’s Homitni is available for R160 a bottle, click here.
