Ever wondered looking at those straw wrapped bottled wine from Tuscany of 
Italy? Or have you tried Chianti wine? I�m sure whoever have tried Chianti,�must�have loved them. Chinati, the Tuscan red blend is the most popular and widely recognized wine outside of Italy. It is as essential to Italian cuisine as extra virgin olive oil. People all over the world find pleasure in having this tart, spicy and herbaceous wine next to a plate pasta al pomodoro or sliced prosciutto.
Chianti Classico is inside Tuscany, a region that raises the grapes that one day grow up to be part of Chianti Classico wine (Italy and France often name wines after their region). Typically, the wine is made from a large amount of Sangiovese, a red grape that grows very well in the Chianti Classico region, and blended with small amounts of the white and/or red grapes that also grow locally-as nondescript as Canaiolo Nero to as famous as Cabernet Sauvignon. It is also possible for a Chianti wine to be made from 100% Sangiovese.
For decades the symbol of Italian wine was the straw-
covered flask of Chianti. Ever since Laborel Melini came up with the bright idea of shipping wine in these flasks, Chianti has been the symbol of not just Tuscany but also the whole Italy throughout the world.
There is more to Chianti than the classic bottle in a straw basket, known as a fiasco. In fact, most of the Chianti sold today does not come in the classic straw basket. Today, very little Chianti is sold in the straw-covered, bulbous-bottomed bottles. Producers switched to sleeker, modern bottles in the latter half of the twentieth century as part of an effort to restore the wine�s reputation, which had suffered due to tax regulations and a boom of low-quality, mass-produced wines.
Chianti is currently the most popular red wine all over the world. Known for being a dry red that goes very well with food, Chianti can range in price from $10 a bottle to upwards of $50 dollars for high-end versions.
People always thought Chianti as the region for red wines but very few people know Chianti started out white. Over time, the region became known for reds, and in the 19th century Italian statesman Bettino Ricasoli came up with a recipe for Chianti known as the �Ricasoli Formula�. It contained 70% Sangiovese (a local red grape) and 30% various other red and white grapes. In 1967, the formula was set as a Sangiovese blend with 10-30% Malvasia and Trebbiano (both white) grapes allowed. Today, most Chiantis are at least 80% Sangiovese and many are 100%.
Chianti: Aged for 6 months. Young simple tart Chianti.
Superiore: Aged for a year. Slightly bolder wines with smoother acidity.
Riserva: Aged for 2 years. Usually the top wines of a Chianti producer.
Gran Selezione: Aged for at least 2.5 years (only used in Chianti Classico). Top wines from Chianti Classico.
Chianti Sub-Zones
Colli Senesi: Aged for 6 months. Colline Pisane: Aged for 6 months.
Colli Aretini: Aged for 6 months. Montalbano: Aged for 6 months.
Montespertoli: Aged for 9 months (min.) Classico: Aged for a year (min.)
R�fina: Aged for a year (min.)
Colli Fiorentini: Aged for a year (min.)
These days, the two versions of Chianti you are most likely to encounter in a store or on a restaurant wine list are Chianti and Chianti Classico. The difference between the two is that Chianti Classico is considered to be a bit more refined and higher end than Chianti; this is because it�s produced from grapes harvested in the best vineyards of the region. Whether the wine is Chianti or Chianti Classico will clearly be labeled on the front of the bottle.
In both versions of Chianti available these days, you can expect a wine that is very earthy and rustic, high in tannins (it dries your mouth out), has a smell and taste that is reminiscent of cherries and strawberries, and is high in acidity, which makes it go very well with food.
Chianti has savory flavors paired with coarse tannin and high acidity making it an incredible wine with food. The high acid cuts through richer fatty dishes and stands up to tomato sauces (pizza!). All that dry, powdery tannin makes Chianti wines ideal with dishes that use olive oil or highlight rich pieces of meat.
Tomato-based pasta sauces are fantastic, such as the Tuscan slow-simmered Rag� al Chingiale made with wild boar. Pizza is another favorite pairing and works with all styles of Sangiovese, from lighter Chianti wines to richer Brunello di Montalcino.
Italy? Or have you tried Chianti wine? I�m sure whoever have tried Chianti,�must�have loved them. Chinati, the Tuscan red blend is the most popular and widely recognized wine outside of Italy. It is as essential to Italian cuisine as extra virgin olive oil. People all over the world find pleasure in having this tart, spicy and herbaceous wine next to a plate pasta al pomodoro or sliced prosciutto.
Chianti Classico is inside Tuscany, a region that raises the grapes that one day grow up to be part of Chianti Classico wine (Italy and France often name wines after their region). Typically, the wine is made from a large amount of Sangiovese, a red grape that grows very well in the Chianti Classico region, and blended with small amounts of the white and/or red grapes that also grow locally-as nondescript as Canaiolo Nero to as famous as Cabernet Sauvignon. It is also possible for a Chianti wine to be made from 100% Sangiovese.
For decades the symbol of Italian wine was the straw-covered flask of Chianti. Ever since Laborel Melini came up with the bright idea of shipping wine in these flasks, Chianti has been the symbol of not just Tuscany but also the whole Italy throughout the world.
There is more to Chianti than the classic bottle in a straw basket, known as a fiasco. In fact, most of the Chianti sold today does not come in the classic straw basket. Today, very little Chianti is sold in the straw-covered, bulbous-bottomed bottles. Producers switched to sleeker, modern bottles in the latter half of the twentieth century as part of an effort to restore the wine�s reputation, which had suffered due to tax regulations and a boom of low-quality, mass-produced wines.
Chianti is currently the most popular red wine all over the world. Known for being a dry red that goes very well with food, Chianti can range in price from $10 a bottle to upwards of $50 dollars for high-end versions.
People always thought Chianti as the region for red wines but very few people know Chianti started out white. Over time, the region became known for reds, and in the 19th century Italian statesman Bettino Ricasoli came up with a recipe for Chianti known as the �Ricasoli Formula�. It contained 70% Sangiovese (a local red grape) and 30% various other red and white grapes. In 1967, the formula was set as a Sangiovese blend with 10-30% Malvasia and Trebbiano (both white) grapes allowed. Today, most Chiantis are at least 80% Sangiovese and many are 100%.
Aging & Classifications of Chianti Wine General Aging
Chianti: Aged for 6 months. Young simple tart Chianti.
Superiore: Aged for a year. Slightly bolder wines with smoother acidity.
Riserva: Aged for 2 years. Usually the top wines of a Chianti producer.
Gran Selezione: Aged for at least 2.5 years (only used in Chianti Classico). Top wines from Chianti Classico.
Chianti Sub-Zones
Colli Senesi: Aged for 6 months. Colline Pisane: Aged for 6 months.
Colli Aretini: Aged for 6 months. Montalbano: Aged for 6 months.
Montespertoli: Aged for 9 months (min.) Classico: Aged for a year (min.)
R�fina: Aged for a year (min.)
Colli Fiorentini: Aged for a year (min.)
These days, the two versions of Chianti you are most likely to encounter in a store or on a restaurant wine list are Chianti and Chianti Classico. The difference between the two is that Chianti Classico is considered to be a bit more refined and higher end than Chianti; this is because it�s produced from grapes harvested in the best vineyards of the region. Whether the wine is Chianti or Chianti Classico will clearly be labeled on the front of the bottle.
In both versions of Chianti available these days, you can expect a wine that is very earthy and rustic, high in tannins (it dries your mouth out), has a smell and taste that is reminiscent of cherries and strawberries, and is high in acidity, which makes it go very well with food.
Chianti has savory flavors paired with coarse tannin and high acidity making it an incredible wine with food. The high acid cuts through richer fatty dishes and stands up to tomato sauces (pizza!). All that dry, powdery tannin makes Chianti wines ideal with dishes that use olive oil or highlight rich pieces of meat.
Tomato-based pasta sauces are fantastic, such as the Tuscan slow-simmered Rag� al Chingiale made with wild boar. Pizza is another favorite pairing and works with all styles of Sangiovese, from lighter Chianti wines to richer Brunello di Montalcino.
