Chianti
“It’s not too bad for a cheap Italian red,” he said.
We were in Florence, Italy, for a few days and had taken the train from Rome to Florence. “It’s a nice little spot,” he continued, “but it can be hard to find good wines.” We were in the countryside of Tuscany, out of sight and out of mind of most tourists who come to Florence from all over the world. The country is beautiful, with rolling hills and picturesque towns just within an hour’s train ride of the city. The house we were staying in was a small bed and breakfast owned by a family who grew up in town—they could easily tell you how much better their lives are now that they can afford electricity instead of candles on their walls. As we sipped our Chianti Classico with our supper late at night, we couldn’t help but agree: This was pretty damn cool!
Chianti Classico
The climate of Chianti Classico is not exactly tropical, but it’s also not exactly arid. The region’s base altitude is about 700 feet above sea level, and the mountains that surround the valley in all directions play a role in moderating the weather. While there are still areas with hot summers and cold winters, most of the region enjoys a Mediterranean climate because the warm air from Africa comes down from over Italy into the area. This causes cooler temperatures and more precipitation than in somewhere like Tuscany which has an ocean to block some of these warm winds.
The wine itself is produced on a small scale, so much of what you’re going to experience will be within Chianti Classico’s boundaries (in fact you’ll likely learn more about Chianti Classico as an area than you will about Tuscany). This is because most of the grapes for this beverage come from vineyards just north of Florence (the landlocked part). The wines are lighter-bodied and have flavors that can be spicy at times. They’ll usually have notes that remind you of fresh herbs or flowers. Some have fruity hints at other times that make this wine a great match for foods such as seafood or poultry recipes since they don’t overwhelm those flavors with strong fruit notes. Almost all bottles will cost less than $15 (sometimes even below $10) if you look around enough and ask around for any good deals!
Chianti Rufina
Chianti Rufina is located just east of Florence in Tuscany. One of the oldest winemaking regions in Italy, Chianti Rufina has been producing wine since before the days of Julius Caesar. So it’s no wonder this area is chock-full of history: you can find Etruscan ruins and medieval castles as well as stunning Renaissance palaces, such as Villa di Poggio a Caiano.
The Sangiovese grape and other local grapes are used to make excellent wines in four DOCG appellations: Rufina itself, Colli Fiorentini, Pontassieve and Greve in Chianti. The region has a long history of producing strong reds that are dry rather than sweet—unlike many Italian reds produced elsewhere.
Chianti is an excellent wine and a great value.
Chianti is a classic. These wines pair well with food and are generally good values, too. They are some of the most widely distributed Italian wines on the market and they have a long history.
The namesake zone covers quite a large area (about 16,000 square kilometers) in central Italy. There are eight sub-zones within this region and more than 300 wineries produce Chianti. These can be red or white, depending on the grape variety used in production, but in general red Chiantis are most common.
Classic Chianti blends Sangiovese grapes with other varietals like Canaiolo Nero and Colorino to add complexity to the wine. The best examples come from older vines that produce very low yields of concentrated fruit flavors that give these wines their distinctive rustic character.
Chianti Classico is a smaller appellation within Chianti that produces some of the most famous examples from this region like Fontodi, Antinori Peppoli and Castello di Ama La Casuccia—all highly rated by Wine Spectator magazine over the years.