Cupido Sangiovese Sensi Collezione: what to know

"Cupudo sensi" is most likely a search for Cupido Sangiovese from Sensi Collezione, an Italian red wine made from the Sangiovese grape. Stock changes from week to week, so the quickest way to see which Italian reds are in at CBC Liquors in Westford is the Italian red page, and our staff can help you find this bottle or something close to it.

What does cupudo sensi mean?

Search engines see a lot of spelling slips, and "cupudo" is almost certainly Cupido. Paired with "sensi", the search points to Cupido Sangiovese, a wine labelled under the Sensi Collezione name. Sensi is an Italian wine producer, and Collezione is the word on the label for a range of wines from that house.

The part of the name that tells you the most about what is in the glass is Sangiovese. That is the grape, and it shapes the whole style of the wine: red, dry, and food-friendly. If you came here only to confirm what you were looking at, that is the short version.

If you are standing in the shop or reading a label at home, look for the producer name, the grape name and the word Collezione. Those three together are how you tell this wine from others with a similar name.

What is Sangiovese, and what does it taste like?

Sangiovese is a red grape grown across Italy and best known as the main grape of Chianti in Tuscany. It is the grape behind many of the country's everyday table reds as well as its more serious bottles.

In general, Sangiovese is medium in body with bright acidity and moderate tannin. The flavours people usually describe are red cherry, dried herbs, tomato leaf and a little earth, sometimes with a savoury or leathery note as the wine gets older. It tends to taste fresher and sharper than many California reds, which is exactly why it works so well at the table.

That description is about the grape in general, not a tasting note for any one bottle. Style varies with the producer, the vintage and how long the wine spent in oak, so read the label and ask if you want to know more.

Can you buy it at CBC Liquors in Westford?

Our stock changes, so the honest way to check is to look at what is on the shelf and on the site today. The Italian red page shows the Italian reds that are in now, and the wider red wine page covers every red we have in stock.

If the bottle you want is there, you can collect it at the shop on Littleton Rd. If it is not, you are not stuck: tell us the name and what you liked about it, and we can point you to something close.

We are at 142 Littleton Rd, Westford, MA 01886. Doors are open Sunday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

What can you buy if the exact bottle is not in?

The simplest swap is another Sangiovese, or a Chianti, which is built on the same grape. Both will give you the same cherry fruit and savoury edge. The Italian red page is the place to start, because Italian reds are grouped together there and you can scan the labels for Sangiovese or Chianti.

If you want the same medium body from a different country, a pinot noir is a reasonable step sideways. It is lighter and a little softer, but it also leans toward red fruit and good acidity.

If you liked the structure more than the fruit, a red blend can give you something similar, since blends are often built to be easy with food. For browsing by style rather than by name, the wine styles collection groups bottles in a way that makes comparing easy.

What food goes with Sangiovese?

Tomato is the classic partner. The acidity in Sangiovese matches the acidity in a tomato sauce, so the wine does not taste flat next to it. Baked pasta, lasagne, pizza and meatballs all work.

Grilled sausages, roast chicken, mushroom dishes and anything with rosemary or sage also sit well with it. Hard cheeses such as aged pecorino or Parmesan are an easy match too.

It is less happy with very spicy food or with delicate fish, where the tannin and acidity can feel sharp. If you are planning a table for a few people, one bottle of a lighter red and one of a fuller red such as a cabernet sauvignon gives guests a choice without much effort.

How should you serve and keep it?

Serve Sangiovese slightly cooler than a warm room, around cellar temperature. If the bottle has been sitting somewhere warm, twenty minutes in the fridge before you open it helps the fruit show.

An ordinary red wine glass is fine. Pouring the wine into a jug or decanter for half an hour can soften a young bottle, though it is not essential for an everyday red.

Store unopened bottles on their side in a cool, dark place away from the stove or a sunny window. Once opened, re-cork the bottle and keep it in the fridge, and plan to finish it within a couple of days. Please drink responsibly and only if you are 21 or older.

How do you get wine from CBC Liquors if you live outside Westford?

Westford is not the only town we serve. We also serve Chelmsford, Carlisle, Littleton, Acton, Tyngsborough, Lowell, Billerica, Boxborough and Dunstable, and we have delivery pages for each, including Chelmsford, Acton and Lowell. The delivery areas page lists every town.

Besides walking in, we do pickup, delivery and shipping. Pickup hours match our shop hours. Delivery runs Sunday 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM. The shipping policy explains how shipping works.

If you would rather talk a bottle through first, our guide on how a Westford liquor store helps with wine choices explains what to tell us so we can find the right wine quickly. You can also browse the full wine section, where we carry 4,624 products across 1,893 brands in the shop as a whole.