Beverage of the Week (B.O.W)

Sometimes asking a winemaker to name a favorite among their wines is a bit like asking a parent to name a favorite child. Despite the danger, we did just that asking Pietra Santa’s Alessio Carli to name his favorite wine grape. “My favorite Italian varietal is certainly Sangiovese. I’m originally from Siena and when I was living in Italy, I started making wine with Sangiovese and my father still makes some Sangiovese every year. Now he is 88 years (buon vino fa buon sangue). Sangiovese is the Tuscan expression, my tradition. It is a wine that is marrying well with food and not only with the Italian gastronomy,” says Carli.

Carli simply knows how to coax the subtle earthy flavors from this varietal that are often missing or trampled in California grown Sangiovese. The real genius of this wine is that it is both the perfect expression of both the grape varietal and place, what is so often referred to as terrior.

Like all of Pietra Santa’s wines, this gorgeous example demonstrates ideal balance with abundant natural acidity that makes this wine such a star at the dinner table. Grilled and roasted meats are complimented by this great wine as is pasta with a tomato-based sauce. Sangiovese and tomatoes were made for each other. Chianti (A Tuscan wine based on Sangiovese) and pizza with a zesty tomato sauce may sound a bit like a cliché but there is a great element of truth to wisdom of the pairing.