Sangiovese

Ten percent of Italy's wine grape crop is Sangiovese. A bottle of Chianti has to contain at least 80% Sangiovese. Brunello from Tuscany is made from a particular Sangiovese clone, is often highly rated, and  can cost north of $100.

Sangiovese has great acid, making it ideal for foods with tomatoes. Spaghetti and meatballs, anyone? The wines are savory -- savory being the opposite of sweet -- so rather than pronounced red fruit flavors found in many New World wines they're more earthy, maybe mushrooms, peppers, or tobacco. You often get red cherries from California Sangi. 

Sangiovese has never quite caught on big as a varietal in the U.S.

Trivial as it may seem, it might be the pronunciation, the same problem Gewürztraminer may have. It's sahn-joe-vay-zay or thereabouts, depending on how Americanized you make it. 

Award-winning Sangi
from a small producer

It also might just be the flavors. In a country where popular wines frequently exhibit sweetness from red fruit flavors, vanilla from oak, and possibly residual sugar. I mean, noticeable acids and mushroom flavors, oh my. The trick is Sangiovese deserves, no demands, food. It should be a hearty dish. If you're a fan of Tempranillo or Cabernet Franc, you might love Sangiovese.

In California there's more Sangi planted in Sonoma County than anywhere else. Some Sangiovese producers from Sonoma County are:

Imagery, Jacuzzi, Muscardini, Pedroncelli, Ramazzotti, Seghesio, Trentadue, VJB

A few Sangiovese producers from the rest of California are:

Benessere, Borjon, Castello di Amorosa, Cooper, Miner, Noceto

All of these I've chosen are from Sonoma, Napa, or Amador counties. I'm sure there are good ones from elsewhere, but these are the areas I'm familiar with.