ABOUT CHIANTI WINERY

Chianti (from the Italian I Monti del Chianti or Chianti Hill) is a rural region of Tuscany in northern Italy. The hilly and mountainous Chianti growing area is divided into seven production sectors and its wine is known throughout the world. The region is not a monoculture, but vineyards, olive groves, cereals and potatoes are grown side by side in this area. It is here that the eponymous wine is produced.

 

This red wine was originally produced in strictly defined areas around Florence, Siena, Arezzo, Pistoia, Pisa and Prato. Modern Chianti was established in 1880 by Bettino Ricasoli, an Italian statesman who was President of the Council of the Kingdom of Italy. It is nowadays generally made by blending Sangiovese, a fruity and colourful Italian grape variety, with Merlot, a French black grape variety. It can also be blended with canaiolo, a slightly bitter Italian grape variety.

 

The cultivation of vines in Chianti dates back to the 9th century BC and was continued under the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD by religious orders in abbeys. The term "Chianti" first appeared in 790 on a parchment, but it did not really come into its own until the 12th century when the villages of Gaiole, Castellina and Radda near Florence formed a Lega del Chianti (Chianti League) creating an area that would become the spiritual and historical "heart" of the Chianti region. Several appellations were established in an attempt to preserve the quality of the products from this historic heartland.

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In 1967, the Denomination of Controlled Origin (D.O.C.) and in 1984 the Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin (DOCG) were granted to the Chianti League. But as the region's wines gained in popularity, other villages in Tuscany wanted their land included in the Chianti region. Indeed, over the centuries, the boundaries of the region have undergone many expansions and subdivisions. Many vineyards wanted to claim themselves as part of Chianti, in order to benefit from the economic prosperity of the territory. Because of the different microclimates of the various vineyards, the image attributed to Chianti wines was for a long time that of wines of very variable quality.

 

However, at the same time, a group of ambitious producers decided to work outside the DOC regulations to create a superior Chianti. These wines, which restored the Chiantis to their former glory, became known as the "Super Tuscans". The origin of these new blends can be traced back to the early 1970s, when, even though it did not fall within the DOC regulations, Marquis Piero Antinori decided to create a "Chianti-style" wine. Victims of their success and often rated higher than the real Chianti themselves, the Italian authorities decided to adjust the regulations to bring some Super Tuscans within their norms and benefit from their quality. The new wine production and management techniques of the Super Tuscans' estates have also boosted the Chianti grape varieties. This has led to a sharp increase in the price of Chianti, which has regained its former prestige. Nowadays, under higher quality and production standards, Chiantis are back among the most recognised wines in Italy.