Sangiovese Wine

if you're talking about a wine for consumption in the US, go to any reputable wine store in your area of CA and buy what they recommend from their stock. Here are a few in your area: http://www.gayot.com/wine/best-wine-shops/orange-county-california.html There are precious few "undiscovered gems" in Italy that the locals are quaffing with gusto but that isn't available in the states. Instead of lugging around a 8lb souvenir, or paying a fortune to have it shipped, buy one that has already made the journey. If you want a souvenir for your D, get something that isn't already imported in large quantity and that will last (eg. not a food that is quickly consumed). My opinion, anyway...

Denise: Technially, Sangiovese is a type of grape, rather than a type of wine. I think it's the most widely planted red grape variety in Italy and is used to make a number of widely available Tuscan red wines, including Chianti.

Sangiovese is both a grape and a wine. Sangiovese wine is made up, as you'd expect, of mostly Sangiovese grapes. However, the Sangiovese grape is the most common grape in Tuscany and is also found as the principal grape in wines such as Chianti and Super Tuscan....Sangiovese grapes are also grown in California. If you find a Sangiovese wine you like from a small winery, you could bring home a few bottles. Just remember, it has to be checked and cannot be carried on the plane.

Kent is half right, Sangiovese is the grape used primarily in Tuscany (Chainti, Montepulciano and Montalcino are all Sangiovese based) however there are plenty of wines here that just use the Sangiovese name. These are sometimes some of the best bargains and here's why; in order to use a name like Chianti or Montalcino for example, the grape must be grown in a certain area under certain strict guidelines. Sometimes the grapes are planted or grown in areas not falling under these guidelines but very close so they can't use the formal name but the quality is very similar and because they can't use the name, the wine is cheaper. When this happens, they usually just use the generic "Rosso di Sangiovese" or something along those lines. The two main grapes that come to mind are Sangiovese and Nebbiolo (from the Piemonte region, think Barolo, Barbera, Barbaresco, etc). The Plain "Rosso" version of these two grapes are very good and usually much cheaper that the "name" brand wines made from them. Back to your original question, you'll find Sangiovese wines all over Tuscany but they're also common in regions around Tuscany such as Umbria and Emilia-Romagna. If you're driving on the Autostrada, you will most likely find them sold in most rest areas, especially the large "Autogrill" stops...although they cost a couple euros more in the rest area shops. It's really not as confusing as it sounds, feel free to pm me if you need more info.

Chianti Classico has a high percentage of Sangiovese grape in it (I think 80%). I've only seen wine sold as Sangiovese that is from California. I would suggest looking for Chianti Classico.

Better to bring back olive oil. Lasts longer.

Well, since Brad brought it up...when buying Italian wine, you're always better off buying anything with "Classico" in the name. "Classico" means that the wine has been made of the grapes from the very heart of that particular region. It denotes a higher quality wine.

You don't really say where you will be driving - in Tuscany? If so as others have said many Tuscan reds are Sangiovese based - including of course Chiantis and Chianti Classico. Some Chianti Classicos are 100% Sangiovese, as are some "Super Tuscans" or IGT wines. Many other wines like Brunellos, etc. are also based on Sangiovese clones. If you want to know more about Sangiovese the Consorzio website is a good place to start: http://www.chianticlassico.com/english/index.asp They also explain the rules, grapes allowed, etc. (for example Chianti Classico must be 80% Sangiovese at the moment). Here are some Chianti reviews I have posted - these are a little dated but you can get an idea of the producers: http://www.florencewinemerchants.com/reviews/chianti-reviews.html