Chianti
Say "Chianti" and immediately you think of wine, the most renowned of all Italian wines, but, actually, the wine took its name from the river, and the river has had that name for more than a thousand years. But "Chianti" was the name of the League that Florence established to administer this region, as early as the late 1200s, to ward off any claim Siena might make to the territory. Today, however, the three villages which make up the League are all part of the province of the City of the Palio, Siena. Today, Chianti is divided administratively between it Florentine and Sienese factions, but it is a region that does not have solutions of continuity and it offers landscapes that know no boundaries. The beauty, but also the severity, of these high hills, sometimes referred to as the Mountains of Chianti, have attracted VIPs from all over the world, in the past as well as today. Tourism has grown steadily in this region of vineyards, cypress groves, and rocky terraced growing lands, which in the past has known more famine than prosperity.
Castles, villages, abbeys and parish churches are our destinations as we search for the best wine of this region whose name is synonymous with wine.
THE CASTLES
Montefioralle, Verrazzano Castle, Brolio Castle, Meleto, Lucignano, Albola Castle – the list could be pages long, because all of Chianti was involved in the widespread development plans of the noble feudal families of Florence, sometimes even at the expense of the city. Even the noble families of Siena established themselves on the hilltops of the southern part of the territory, an example being Castelnuovo Berardegna, Count Bettino Ricasoli, inventor of the formula for Chianti Classico and Prime Minister during the initial years of the Italian Republic, lived in Castle Brolio. Castle Verrazzano reminds us of the great navigator Giovanni da Verrazzano, discoverer of Hudson Bay and Manhattan Island, ultimately died a victim of man-eating peoples he encountered in his voyages to North America. Many important people came from these hills, but Florentine power centered in three small villages, the castles of Castellina and Radda and the trade post of Gaiole, which, up to the 19th century was little more than a town market. Today, these places are upper-eschelon establishments outfitted with wine cellars, places where it is possible to find all the bounties this area has to offer, such as the beef of Chinina, whose greatest advocate is the butcher of Panzano, Dario Cecchini.
CHIANTI WINE
Not all the wine produced in Chianti is Chianti Classico. To have that classification, the wine must originate in the region, but that alone is insufficient; in addition, wine makers must adhere to all the rules governing the discipline of production. The first writing of the rules for DOCG Chianti and Chianti Classico was drafted in 1984, when Chianti Classico was still considered a subdenomination of the omni-comprehensive DOCG Chianti classification, even though Chianti Classico followed a production discipline separate from and more stringent than that of other wines produced in the region. Only in 1996 did Chianti Classico obtain the definitive classification, formally confirming its importance and prominence.
A new development concerns the types of grapes that can be utilized to make a wine. The new regulations require a higher minimum percentage of Sangiovese (the red grape typical of the region), formerly 75%, now 80%, allowing, of course, up to 100%. Along with the Sangiovese, other red grape varieties can be used, the indigenous Canaiolo and Colorino varieties as well as "international" varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, up to a maximum percentage of 20%; whereas white grape varieties, Trebbiano and Malvasia, can no longer be utilized, beginning with the 2006 harvest. The minimum alcohol level is 12% for regular classification and 12.5% for Reserve classification.
An element of fundamental importance is that these new regulations require production, conservation, bottling, and the aging process must all take place within the region where the grapes are produced.
The most important grape in the composition of Chianti Classico wine, with a percentage between 80%-100% is Sangiovese. It is this variety today that distinguishes all the important DOC and DOCG red of Central Italy. This grape variety is very sensitive to external factors, soil and climate, and its maturation certainly never early and sometimes erratic. It is difficult, however, to identify another variety with Sangiovese's capablility to interpret soil characteristics and to modify its bouquet according to the soil in which it is grown. It is always possible to find, despite the area in which it is grown, the scent of sweet violet, which is a characteristic element of and specific to Chianti Classico. Other varieties of red grapes can be combined, but Sangiovese is the soul of Chianti Classico, so much so that since 1996 it has been possible to use 100% Sangiovese.
THE CULTURE OF MIND AND PALATE
Today, Chiani is a paradise for those who wish to treat their senses to a combination of nature, beauty and harmony. The Medieval abbeys - Passignano, Coltibuono, Pontignano - are places to find gather one's thoughts in moments of meditation, while the famous fruit of this region ripens. Wild boars and Sienese swine roam the dense forests and fill the shelves of the butcher shops of the region. It is possible to find Cashmere made from the wool of goats raised here, as well as furniture made of the wood grown in the region's forests. Often the villas have terraces with incredible views and romantic gardens, such as Brolio Castle. Make an attempt to discover the out-of-the-way places that visitors, too concerning with not getting lost, all to often miss.