Sangiovese
Pronunciation: Sahn gee oh vay sayWhere it's Grown: Most famously the wines of Tuscany are nearly all Sangiovese blends. It is grown all over central and south Italy. You will also find it on the West Coast of the US, Australia, Argentina and a few other areas.
What to expect: Sangiovese is a varietal that has red fruit dominated flavors and often carries "other" aromas and flavors. Classic flavors would be red currant, cranberry, red cherry, and red plum. In richer wines that have seen aging in new oak barrels, the red cherry will go to black cherry, and you will find dried cherry and craisin notes mixed with vanilla and baking spices.
Italian versions will also carry rose petal, leather and iron notes that combine well with many kinds of food. These wines will be tart and have a dusty, drying tannin profile. In wines made "big boned" the tannin will be quite dominant and need tempering with time in the bottle and red meat.
Sangiovese from outside of Europe will be significantly more fruit forward and be less tart; think softer.
