The History Of Chianti Wine

The History of Chianti Wine

Chianti wine has been around for centuries--even before the birth of Christ. It has been popular for years as the best accompaniment for tomato-based Italian foods, particularly spaghetti dinners. During the middle of the 20th century, it was an inexpensive wine, which made it even more popular among the middle class.

First Made

Wines have been made from grapes from the Chianti region of Tuscany, Italy since the 8th century B.C., even before France--the country most famous for producing wine--began making the alcoholic beverage.

First Noted

Chianti wine was first identified as a specific type of wine in the 14th century. Today, wine regulators in Italy require that any wine that calls itself Chianti must be made with at least 75 percent of the Sangiovese grape. It can be made with up to 10 percent Canaiolo grape, which is also a red grape. Some Chianti is made from 100 percent Sangiovese grapes. The grapes grown in the region designated as the Chianti region are what gives the wine its unique properties.

Seven Chianti Zones

Some of the companies that began producing Chianti in the 14th century are still making Chianti. In 1932, Italian wine regulators, the Dalmasso Commission, divided the Chianti region into seven different zones, further defining the properties of the wines labeled Chianti. The wines produced in each of the seven zones are named for the zone. They are: Chianti Classico, Chianti Montalbano, Chianti Colli Fiorentini, Chianti Rufina, Colli Senesi, Colline Pisane and Colli Aretini.

Most Recognized

Chianti Classico is the most popular and must be aged a specific length of time in the wooden keg and in the bottle. Each type from all the zones must comply with designated aging requirements.

Unique Bottle

Chianti formerly was easy to identify because it was bottled in a green bottle that sat in a straw basket that was woven around its bottom half. Empty Chianti bottles were often saved in the 1950s, '60s and early '70s and used as candleholders. A common scene in some Italian restaurants during this time period was a Chianti bottle candleholder in the center of a table covered in a red and white tablecloth. Some Chianti makers still use that bottle, but some do not in order to change Chianti's reputation from a cheaper type to a more elegant wine.

Tags: Chianti region, 14th century, Chianti Classico, History Chianti, History Chianti Wine, made from