Sangiovese: taste, styles and the dishes that match
14 styles and 333 dish scores from our sommelier database
Say Sangiovese and you say a red wine with recognisable traits. But there is no single Sangiovese: acidity, body and aromas shift by region and style. That is why we work with Wine DNA profiles per style, scored against real dishes — with Grilled bergylt antiboise among the strongest matches.
Taste profile (Wine DNA)
Averaged across the styles in our database, Sangiovese shows fresh acidity, is medium-bodied and exuberantly fruity, with soft tannins.
Well-known Sangiovese styles
- Sangiovese · New World — full-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins, subtle oak notes
Rijpe, vaak wat aardse en door gebruik van nieuw eikenhout getypeerde sangiovese-wijn uit de Nieuwe Wereld. - Sangiovese Bordeaux blends · Italy — medium-bodied, soft acidity, subtle oak notes
Entry level qualities of blends produced from the sangiovese grape variety and varieties from Bordeaux, often cabernet-sauvignon or merlot. - Brunello di Montalcino · Tuscany — medium-bodied, pronounced freshness, soft tannins, subtle oak notes
A red wine from Montalcino in Tuscany from the sangiovese grape variety. - Barbera · New World — medium-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins, subtle oak notes
Rijpe en vol-kruidige rode wijn met medium tot veel body, van de gelijknamige druif maar in warmere klimaten aangeplant dan Piemonte, waar deze druif oorspronkelijk… - Bonarda · New World — medium-bodied, pronounced freshness, firm tannins
Deze druivensoort produceert voornamelijk in Piëmonte fruitige wijnen met milde tannines, enigszins vergelijkbaar met Dolcetto. - Red Northern · Northern Italy — medium-bodied, pronounced freshness, soft tannins
Fruity and light bodies red wines, often with a touch of green, and made from indegenous north Italian grape varieties like Vernatsch. - Rosé · World — light-bodied, fresh acidity
Fruitige en friszure roséwijn zonder veel pretenties. - White Northern · Northern Italy — light-bodied, pronounced freshness
Entry level aromatic dry white wines from indigenous grape variety from cool climate northern Italy.
Price-wise Sangiovese covers the full range: of the 14 styles in our database, 57% sit in the entry segment, 29% mid-range and 14% at the top end. You will find both a weekday bottle and a cellar-worthy wine in this grape.
The best-scoring dishes with Sangiovese
The dishes below come from our expert scoring: every combination was scored by sommeliers using the Wine DNA of both dish and wine. These are the strongest matches for Sangiovese styles, from classic to surprising.
- Grilled bergylt antiboise — best style: Rosé
- Rump steak with mushrooms — best style: Bordeaux blend
- Petit doruvael — best style: Valpolicella Ripasso
- Le petit doruvael — best style: Valpolicella Ripasso
- Kernhem Classique — best style: Valpolicella Ripasso
- Kernhem — best style: Valpolicella Ripasso
- Kale and potato mash with smoked sausage — best style: Valpolicella Ripasso
- Carpaccio of Tournedos, Pesto, Pine nuts — best style: Sangiovese
- Beef carpaccio — best style: Sangiovese
- Preserved pheasant drumstick on a salad — best style: Sangiovese
- Limousin tournedos and brisket with truffle cream — best style: Brunello di Montalcino
- Fried roebuck rack with mushroom gravy — best style: Brunello di Montalcino
Want to know if a specific bottle of Sangiovese matches your dish? Scan the label in the SommelierX app and see the match instantly.
Open the app →Frequently asked questions
- What does Sangiovese taste like?
- Averaged across the styles in our database, Sangiovese shows fresh acidity, is medium-bodied and exuberantly fruity, with soft tannins. It varies by style: see the overview above.
- What food goes with Sangiovese?
- The highest scores in our sommelier work: Grilled bergylt antiboise, Rump steak with mushrooms, Petit doruvael. The full list is above.
- Is Sangiovese a red wine?
- In our database Sangiovese is mostly made as a red wine (14 linked styles); regional exceptions exist.