Chiara and Bruna’s Favorite Wines
Chianti & Brunello
Tuscany's Pro Tennis Players
Meet Chiara and Bruna, twin sisters and professional tennis players from Tuscany, Italy. They travel all over Italy chasing tournaments with their dog Sanjo, but rarely venture beyond home turf.
They love warm, sunny weather, though you'll usually spot them in hats to avoid getting too tanned. Off the court, they dress in ruby red and unwind by gardening herbs.
In wine terms? Chiara and Bruna are Sangiovese, Italy's most widely planted grape and the backbone of Tuscan wine.
Chiara makes Chianti, the easygoing, everyday member of the family. Bruna makes Brunello di Montalcino, the more famous, more intense sibling who has picked up just about every accolade the wine world has to give. Sangiovese is a grape of many moods, sensitive to where it grows, but always unmistakably Italian.
Expect a wine that is pale ruby red in the glass, medium to full-bodied with high acidity and firm tannins. Chianti is the lighter, more approachable of the two; Brunello is fuller and more serious. On the nose and palate, look for tart cherry, plum, and dried herbs, sometimes tomato, leather, tobacco.
Tuscany is Chiara and Bruna's homeland, and it's here that Sangiovese finds its truest voice: Chianti and Chianti Classico from the hills between Florence and Siena, Brunello di Montalcino from the warmer slopes further south.
Chianti is usually a blend built mostly around Sangiovese, while Brunello is 100% Sangiovese, aged for years before release.
Now let's find you some bottles they'd actually approve of.
Chiara & Bruna's Top Picks
We picked bottles from Chiara and Bruna's homeland. All available on Pop Up Wine Singapore and Straits Wine Singapore. Click any wine name to shop it.
1. For a casual weeknight
Rocca delle Macìe : Vernaiolo Chianti 2023
Tuscany, Italy | $45 / bottle
Chiara says: "This is the Chianti our family always serves on the dinner table. Bright cherry and raspberry with warm spice, medium-bodied with soft, easy tannins, and it scored 90 points from James Suckling. Good wine doesn't have to wait for a special day."
Pairs with: Pizza, tomato pasta, or a simple charcuterie board
2. For a Sunday roast
Rocca delle Macìe : Chianti Classico Famiglia Zingarelli 2022
Tuscany, Italy | $49 / bottle
Chiara says: "This one has a bit more structure: dried strawberries, orange zest, and a savoury edge of tar and liquorice, with firm tannins that can hold their own against a proper Sunday roast. James Suckling gave the 2020 vintage 91 points. Pour it, carve the roast, and let it breathe."
Pairs with: Roast chicken, grilled sausages, or aged pecorino
3. Great value-for-money
Rocca delle Macìe : Chianti Classico Riserva Famiglia Zingarelli 2020
Tuscany, Italy | $65 / bottle
Chiara says: "Two years in oak and six months resting in the bottle, and it shows: dark cherry, plum, and spice, full-bodied with soft, polished tannins. It scored 93 points from Wine Spectator and picked up Silver at both Mundus Vini and the London Wine Competition. High quality and easy on the wallet."
Pairs with: Braised beef, mushroom risotto, or a hard cheese board
4. To impress at a dinner party
Rocca delle Macìe : Tenuta Fizzano Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2019
Tuscany, Italy | $85 / bottle
Chiara says: "Gran Selezione is as serious as Chianti gets, made only from the estate's own best vineyards. Sweet cranberries, plums, and savoury cinnamon, full-bodied with firm, polished tannins, rated 95 points by wine critic Raffaele Vecchione and 93 by James Suckling. I might be the less famous twin, but this bottle isn't messing around."
Pairs with: Bistecca alla fiorentina, wild mushroom risotto, or aged Parmesan
5. For a taste of Brunello
Rocca delle Macìe : Esperienza Numero 8 Brunello di Montalcino 2018
Tuscany, Italy | $105 / bottle
Bruna says: "Now we're talking. This is 100% Sangiovese, aged the proper Brunello way: intense ruby red, plums, ripe black cherries, and red berries, with notes of tobacco and liquorice. It is rated 4.3 out of 5 on Vivino. Elegant, concentrated, and built to last, just like a good final set."
Pairs with: Prosciutto, aged bresaola, or a rich beef stew
6. For a special occasion
Fanti : Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Le Macchiarelle 2019
Tuscany, Italy | $143 / bottle
Bruna says: "This is the Riserva, aged longer and built to go the distance: deep ruby red, balsamic notes, blackberry, and dried figs, with an intense palate and a long, elegant finish. Wine Enthusiast gave it 95 points and James Suckling 94, and it is rated 4.4 out of 5 on Vivino. Open it for a birthday, a championship win, or any day worth remembering."
Pairs with: Slow-roasted lamb, truffle pasta, or aged Tuscan pecorino
Chianti & Brunello Cheat Sheet
| Body | Medium-bodied (Chianti) to full-bodied and intense (Brunello) |
| Color | Pale-to-deep ruby red |
| Tasting notes | Cherry, plum, dried herbs, sometimes tomato, leather, and tobacco |
| Serve at | 15–20°C |
| Best with | Tomato-based pasta, pizza, grilled or roasted meats, aged cheeses |
| Avoid with | Delicate white fish, very spicy dishes, sweet desserts |
| Glass type | Large-bowled red wine glass (helps soften the firm tannins) |
Meet Chiara and Bruna
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