I'll bet you're more familiar than you think with the wines of Tuscany. At some point you've probably stuffed a candle in a bottle of Chianti that was held tight in a cheap wicker basket. Chianti is the reason Americans drink more Italian wine than any other imported wine. Unfortunately, the huge majority of the stuff is thin, bitter and boring. That said, there has been something of a quality revolution in Tuscany over the past few decades, and now even Chianti is stepping up to the plate with some world-class wines.

The Sangiovese grape is the source of Tuscany's greatest red wines. You may, however, find it masquerading under many names such as Sangioveto, as it's known in Chianti's Classico region. On the rolling hills of Tuscany, this grape has the potential to make wines of concentration and distinction that you would never expect from the "spaghetti wine" Chianti of the '70s and '80s.

Tuscany has also been marked recently by the rise of the Super Tuscans - a name coined by the wine press, as these are wines made outside any official designation. They use grapes that are untraditional to the regions, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, in conjunction with different clones of Tempranillo. Some of them are earthy, spicy and gorgeous, while some of them are so fruity and New World in style that they might as well be made in California.

The king of all Tuscan wines is without contest Brunello di Montalcino. Brunello, which means "nice dark one," is another Tempranillo clone and is the most intense, spicy and rich of the bunch. The biggest drawback to this wine is that it usually takes 10 to 15 years for its intensity to calm down to the point where it's drinkable. If you're like me, you drink your Brunello di Montalcino way too early because you are too excited to wait. I recommend that you always use a decanter.

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* ZEV ROVINE, a certified sommelier, teaches wine classes at Spotted Frog Bookstore and Wine Bar in Park City. Send comments to livingeditor@ sltrib.com.

Wines to try

* 2003 CHIANTI ANTINORI CHIANTI "PEPPOLI" ($21). This Chianti is certainly of more modern style, expressing nice concentrated texture and an abundance of bright fruit.

* 2003 TERRABIANCA CAMPACCIO ($36). Made largely of Sangiovese, this wine has a distinctive Tuscan character of leather, bark and tobacco, but has a truly fruity overtone that makes for one of my favorite Super Tuscan-style wines.

* 2001 CAPANNA RESERVA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO ($66). This is actually a great value for a Brunello, especially of the famed 2001 vintage. It was packed tight with spice, dirt and tobacco aromas, but the really shocking part was the texture. Layers of dense fruit and intense spice jumped off the palate and seemed to last forever. Wow.