Chianti

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chianti is Italy's most famous red wine. It used to be easily identified by its squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, called fiasco ("flask"). (The fiasco is only used by a few makers of the wine now; most Chianti is bottled in traditionally shaped wine bottles.) Low-end Chianti is generally fairly inexpensive, with a basic Chianti running less than US$10, though more sophisticated Chiantis are made and sold at substantially higher price points.

The popularity and high exportability of this wine at the moment of introduction of the DOC, 1963, was such that many regions of central Tuscany didn't want to be excluded from the use of the name. As a result the large (for Italian standards) production area was split in seven sub-regions: Classico, Rùfina, Colli Senesi, Colli Fiorentini, Montalbano, Colli Aretini, Colline Pisane (from 1994 there is a new sub-area: Montespertoli, formerly part of Colli Fiorentini). Wines labeled Chianti Classico come from the heart of the area that is traditionally attributed to this wine. The other variants, with the exception of Rufina from the north-east side of Florence and Montalbano in the south of Pistoia, originate in the respective named provinces: Siena for the Colli Senesi, Florence for the Colli Fiorentini, Arezzo for the Colli Aretini and Pisa for the Colline Pisane.

Until the middle of the 19th century Chianti was based solely on Sangiovese grapes. During the second half of 19th century Baron Bettino Ricasoli who was an important Chianti producer and, in the same time, minister in Tuscany and then Prime Minister in the Kingdom of Italy, imposed his ideas: from that moment on Chianti should have been produced with 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo and 15% Malvasia bianca (Malvasia bianca is an aromatic white grape with Greek origins). During the 1970s, producers started to reduce the quantity of white grapes in Chianti and eventually from 1995 it is legal to produce a Chianti with 100% sangiovese, or at least without the white grapes. It may have a picture of a black rooster (known in Italian as a gallo nero) on the neck of the bottle, which indicates that the producer of the wine is a member of the "Gallo Nero" Consortium; an association of producers of the Classico region sharing marketing costs. Aged Chianti (38 months instead of 4-7), may be labelled as Riserva. Chianti that meets more stringent requirements, (lower yield, higher alcohol content and dry extract) may be labelled as Chianti Superiore. Chianti from the "Classico" sub-area is not allowed in any case to be labelled as "Superiore".

Chianti is not the only traditional wine made in Tuscany, and sangiovese is usually the base of most red variants like Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano, Rosso delle Colline Lucchesi etc., while Brunello di Montalcino is based on a variant called sangiovese grosso . There are also new wines, based on sangiovese and some popular French grapes that are usually dubbed "Super Tuscans". Due to rule changes, some of these wines (particularly the pioneering Tignanello) could legally be labeled as Chianti, though many producers of these wines have chosen not to do so.

The word "Chianti" can be used as a semi-generic name in the United States if the place of origin is clearly indicated next to the word to avoid consumer confusion. However, with the popularity of varietal labeling, semi-generic names are rarely used today, even on jug wines.

Due to the wine's relative cheapness, its easy-drinking qualities, and the frequent use of the empty fiasco as a candleholder, Chianti is very strongly identified with Italian American cuisine, especially the "red sauce" variety pioneered by southern Italian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Contents 1 Chianti geographical region 2 Landscapes 3 Trivia 4 External links

[edit] Chianti geographical region

The region consists of five main communities

• Greve in Chianti
  • Montefioralle
  • Convertoie
  • Montegonzi
  • Canonica
  • Castello di Uzzano
  • Castello di Verrazano
  • Radda in Chianti
  • Volpaia
  • Castellina in Chianti
  • San Casciano Val di Pesa
  • Mercatale Val di Pesa
  • Faltignano
  • Campoli
  • Gaiole in Chianti
  • Castello di Brolio

[edit] Landscapes

• Valdorcia
• Casentino
• Crete senesi
• Chianti
• Maremma
• Mugello region
• Val di Chiana
• Garfagnana
• Versilia

[edit] Trivia

• The wine had a famous mention in the film Silence of the Lambs in the catchphrase "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."
• Chianti is also the name of Discovery Bay Phase 14. (Chinese: 尚堤)
• Ruffino Riserva Ducale (Chianti Classico) appears many times on the table of Tony Soprano in the HBO series The Sopranos
• In From Russia with Love, Bond begins to question Grant's credentials when he orders Red Chianti with Fish, an unforgivable faux pas for a gentleman.

[edit] External links

• Chianti travel guide from Wikitravel
• Chianti Wine Producers Association
• Pictures of the Chianti Classico region
• Castello di Montefioralle
• Comune of Greve in Chianti
• Comune of Radda in Chianti
• Comune of Gaiole in Chianti
• Comune of San Casciano Val di Pesa