How do you pronounce Cesanese?

Cesanese is pronounced cheh-zah-NEH-zeh.

Where does Cesanese come from?

Cesanese grows in Lazio, Italy.

What does Cesanese taste like?

Expect red cherry, white pepper, rose petal, forest floor. Closest familiar reference: a lighter, softer Syrah with the pepper turned up.

What wine is Cesanese similar to?

If you usually drink Syrah, Cesanese is the underdog swap to try. Other lesser-known grapes in the same style: Sankt Laurent, Mtsvane, Cabernet Pfeffer.

Cesanese — Underdog Grape Guide

Tasting profile: Red cherry and mulberry cut with cracked white pepper, a lick of rose petal, and a forest-floor edge that keeps it from ever tasting sweet.
Where it grows: Lazio, Italy
Explore the Central Italy field guide
Where to buy: For specific bottles and where to buy them, read the deep dive.

Keep exploring

The region

Lazio, Italy

If you like

Syrah

Wines like Cesanese

Sankt Laurent Mtsvane Cabernet Pfeffer Counoise

Cesanese: common questions

What wine is Cesanese similar to?: If you usually drink Syrah, Cesanese is the underdog swap to try. Other lesser-known grapes in the same style: Sankt Laurent, Mtsvane, Cabernet Pfeffer.

Read the deep diveCesanese: Rome's Spicy Red That Drinks Like a Softer Syrah

JOIN THE PACK

Whatever you drink now, there's an underdog you'd like more.

One overlooked wine at a time: what it tastes like, the famous one it can replace, and the catch. Free.

Or peek at ten to start with →