Strict Rules Help to Maintain Chianti’s Authenticity

When you think of Chianti what comes to mind? An Italian dinner of spaghetti and meatballs? A cheap red wine in a straw-covered bottle? A side order of fava beans a la Hannibal Lecter?

What’s interesting to note about Chianti is that many Americans mistakenly think they’re drinking a wine from the Chianti grape (which doesn’t exist). Worse yet, they sometimes use the term generically to refer to any inexpensive Italian red wine. In fact, the word is in reference to the area in Italy where the grapes come from, not the grapes themselves. Just as Burgundy is a region, not a grape (it’s made from chardonnay, pinot noir or gamay grapes), Chianti is a well defined area in the Tuscany region of Italy.

Wines from Chianti are made primarily from the sangiovese grape and are generally characterized by medium to high acidity, low to medium tannins and light to medium body. They can also be designated as Chianti Superiore, which essentially means that the wine is subject to more stringent production standards and contains a higher alcohol content.

Whether a wine can carry the Chianti label depends primarily upon two things; it must be produced within the boundaries of the region and it must meet specific production and quality requirements. Keep in mind that in Italy, as in most European wine-producing countries, the region is all important. So, if for example, a winery makes a sangiovese that meets the standards required for a Chianti but it is located in the nearby region of Umbria, it would have to be labeled simply as a sangiovese rather than Chianti.

Why the strict regulations? It provides consumers with a level of authenticity for the wine they’re drinking. So when you buy a wine with the Chianti designation not only are you given a level of quality assurance, you can be certain the grapes are specifically from the Chianti region of Italy.

Next week I’ll offer up a few Chianti and sangiovese recommendations along with a some food/wine suggestions.