The realization that wines made from Sangiovese represent our most versatile and food-friendly reds hit me in a one-two punch on a perfect late-April night in southern Tuscany. Standing on top of Elisa Sesti’s thirteenth century stone tower as the sun set, I took a bite of a fried squash blossom filled with ricotta and followed it with a sip of Elisa’s Brunello di Montalcino. I did a double-take and tried it again because there was no way these flavors married so well—right? Then, a little while later, in Elisa’s converted 9th century chapel, against all odds, a bowl of asparagus soup paired seamlessly with her freshest bottling of Sangiovese, the Monteleccio.
      I must admit, I thought there was a chance I was swept up in the magic of Tuscany or the otherworldly spirit of the Sesti estate, so I decided to put Elisa’s Monteleccio’s pairing magic to the test when I returned home. I went to the market and brought home an assortment of veggies. Sure enough, it wasn’t just the Tuscan air. This is a food-wine that dreams are made of.
      For my first test, I whipped up David Tanis’s seared tuna, fennel, and white bean salad. The Monteleccio paired beautifully with the tuna and fennel’s delicate flavors. Next, I tried a beet salad recipe from the “Early Summer” section of Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables. Another success! And of course, the Monteleccio is unrivaled when it comes to a simple, grilled flat iron steak—or whatever your favorite summer cut may be.
      If you haven’t dived into the charms of Sangiovese lately, let this be your first dip, and then come back and splash around in it all summer long. No other red wine will flatter your farmers’ market haul more.