This is what good wine from the Cesanese grape tastes like

The Italian Cesanese grape grows in the Lazio region near Rome. It produces relatively simple, fruit-dominated wines with soft tannins. Cesanese has been known in Lazio for several hundred years but has rarely left the region, perhaps because it's not an easy grape for winemakers.

A monk from Sicily is said to have introduced Cesanese to the Lazio region in the sixteenth century. A nice story, of course, but then again, there's no Cesanese known on this island. In any case, it used to be quite widely planted in Lazio, but due to the increasing popularity of white wines in the region, not much remains: about 1,000 hectares.

It owes its name to the town of Cesano, just south of Rome. And it can be very aromatic. The best Cesanese wines come from the Anagni and Piglio areas. But most Cesanese is easy to drink and is served on the terraces of Rome.