Chianti, is that part of Tuscany that is bordered to the north by the suburbs of Florence, in the east by the Chianti Mountains, to the south by the city of Siena and to the west by the valleys of the Pesa and Elsa rivers. It is a landscape of ancient traditions that was civilized first long ago by the Etruscans, who left many traces of their activity in the winemaking, and then by the Romans. In the Middle Ages, the cities of Florence and Siena battled for control over the area. Villages and monasteries, castles and fortresses appeared during that period many of the buildings later being transformed into villas and country residences when times became more tranquil.

Chianti wine is one of the most well known of all Italian wines. Even though the nomination Chianti is one there are many different styles, ranging from light bodied wines to structured, complex wines potent enough to reward aging and maturing.

The predominant grape variety is Sangiovese, but the local winemaking laws allow for an addition of between 10 and 15% of other grape varieties such as: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Colorino and Syrah. A Riserva wine is one that has been aged longer before being released.



The Chianti wine-producing area was delimited in 1932 by ministerial decree and the boundaries have remained unchanged since then. The decree described the district where Chianti Classico is produced as the "the oldest zone of origin“. The other six zones are: Colli Aretini, Colli Senesi, Colli Fiorentini, Montalbano, Rufina and Colline Pisane.

There are various theories as to the origin of the name Chianti. The most popular is that the word derives from the Latin "clangor", meaning the cry of a bird or a high pitched note from a trumpet, this alluding to the wild and uncultivated countryside of the area, fit for hunting rather than agriculture. Another far more mundane theory ascribes the etruscan name for water: "clante", also a very common etruscan family name.

What is more certain is that the name Chianti was well established by the early fifteenth century, although the wine known in those days was almost certainly a white wine. As late as the 1960's there was still a Chianti Bianco and even the DOC laws of 1967 allowed for 30% of white grapes in the red wine.

The year 1924 saw the formation of the Consorzio per la difesa del vino tipico del Chianti, a group taking as its symbol the black cockerel, the Gallo Nero. The significance of this dates to a border dispute between Siena and Florence, a dispute that saw the border drawn at the point where a horseman from each city would meet on the road. Both horsemen had set out on their journey as the cock crowed in the early morning, but the Florentine (black) cockerel had been starved, and woke to greet the day considerably earlier than its Sienese counterpart.

The DOCG regulations of 1984 attempted to achieve what the DOC regulations of 1967 failed to do in terms of quality and consistency. There is no doubt that post DOCG Chianti is a much improved wine not only because of the exclusion of white grapes in its blending but also because regulations were altered to allow varieties of grape that used to be outlawed.

Many recent tastings have commented on the wonderful ageing potential of top Chianti. The prestige that the so called "Super-Tuscans" afforded the Sangiovese grape is now allowing a return to the focus of making a good Chianti.