Wines from Chianti

Where is Chianti from?

Chianti is produced in a region of Tuscany. Indeed, the Chianti region is huge and overlaps several other prominent wine growing regions.

This means that there are actually wines being produced by vineyards in the region under other names, which could actually qualify to be called Chianti.

However, within the modern wine production industry, we can simply slice up the Chianti region in to two main areas.

The Chianti Classico Region, which as the name suggests, is the true heart of Chianti history. And the Greater Chianti Region, which is where newer, more modern variations of Chianti are produced.

Why is Chianti a Famous Italian Wine?

Chianti is one of the classic Italian wines, with a history going back to 1716. The bottle was originally fairly unique, short and squat, and housed in a wicker basket.

The name for this kind of packaging is a fiasco. Watch any old Italian movie, and you will see waiters pouring from a fiasco in many restaurant scenes.

And this is why Chianti is such a famous Italian red wine. It’s been around for almost 200 years, and has been a staple of Italian life for most of that time.

It is an affordable wine, that is easier to produce that its more expensive brothers. In effect, Chianti is a consumer product that every Italian knows.

Chianti is drunk as a standard table wine by many Italian’s. As mentioned above, its simplicity makes it easy to match with most food types.

How to Get to the Chianti Region

Getting to the Chianti region is very easy by air. The city of Florence sits just a few kilometres from the northern edge of the Greater Chianti Region. So it is possible to fly in to Florence Airport.

Book a flight with Expedia.co.uk

If you would rather drive and tour, then the situation is also very simple. Just set your GPS to the very centre of Tuscany.

This will see you end your journey in the Chianti Classico Region, the home of the original Chianti, and where the finest vintages are still produced today.

Best Chianti Vineyards to Visit

There really are many Chianti producing vineyards, simply because the combined regions of Chianti Classico and Greater Chianti, are so large.

However, if we had to pick several that stand out as the best, then this short list would be it:

Antinori Chianti Classico

Just outside Florence, 20km down the highway that leads all the way to Sienna, is this historic winery and vineyards. Nestled within its well laid out vineyards, the winery itself can be hard to find.

This is because much of the winery is actually housed underground. This winery has been in production since 1385.

This is actually a must visit Tuscany winery, it is one of the definitive wineries of the area, and has done much to bring Tuscany to the fore of European wine making.

It is open to the public all day Monday to Saturday, and in the mornings on Sunday.

Read more about Cantina Antinori

Castello di Nipozzano

This is a private winery and vineyard; it is not open to the public. However, if you take the time to contact the winery and ask, then it will let visitors take a look around. It simply does not publicize the fact.

The winery is based around the ruins of a 1,000-year-old castle. This winery is the home of Chianti Rùfina, one of the most well regarded of all Chianti vintages.

Read more about Castello di Nipozzano

Badia a Coltibuono

As wineries go, this one has it all. A stunning organic farm, a cozy hotel, landscaped gardens and an incredible number of great wines to sample.

This is the Disneyland of wineries in the Tuscany area. The most interesting part of the Chianti production process here, is that the wine is aged in oak casks, in what used to be an old crypt. It is open Monday to Friday.

Read more about Badia a Coltibuono

Which are the Best Chianti to Taste?

This is such a hard question to answer. There are simple so many great Chianti wines, both classico wines and the newer vintages.

However, here is a selection of good starting points to kick off your Chianti discover from.

Chianti Classico, Vigneto La Casuccia

From Castello di Ama, this is an expensive, refined Chianti Classico. A very rich, full bodied Chianti that screams quality with every sip.

However, this is not a casual wine. It is challenging to drink alone. It should be paired with rich meat dishes.

€119.90

Chianti Classico, Vigneto Bellavista

Again from Castello di Ama, this is a much less challenging Chianti Classico than our previous selection. Indeed, it is one of the least full bodied Chianti Classico in production.

This makes it a suitable fine wine for appreciating as an aperitif if great tasting red wine is something you enjoy drinking without an accompaniment.

€83.30

Definition Chianti Classico

From Majestic Wine, this is our new style Chianti selection.

It shares many of the properties of the previous two wines, but in a much more affordable way. Surprisingly, the reduced cost has not resulted in a weak wine.

This budget option holds its own with the two previous fine wine selections.

€12.78 / £9.99 at Majestic Wine

Taking in the Surroundings

Finding something to do to take a break from wine tasting whilst you are visiting Chianti, is pretty easy to do.

It is such a large region, and has a healthy tourist industry. Here are several examples of the great attractions to be found in Chianti:

Chianti Sculpture Park

Found within an entirely outdoors setting, the Chianti Sculpture Park offsets contemporary art with the majestic natural surroundings of the Tuscany countryside.

A wonderful place to spend a couple of hours taking a break from visiting local wineries and vineyards.

Read more about Chianti Sculpture Park

Archaological Museum

Tucked away close to a small town in the heart of the Chianti region, this museum is absolutely cram packed with locally discovered artifacts.

What makes it such a great museum, is the fact that each display is full curated, with a back story and explanation of its significance.

Read more about Chianti Archaeological Museum (#9)

Book a flight and find a hotel near by the Archaological Museum with Expedia

Go Karting

One for the whole family, the rather surprising go kart track located in Castelnuovo Berardenga. Great for families, as they allow drives as young as 6 years old to take a spin around the track.

Read more about Go karting at Circuito di Siena (italian)

Classic Chianti Wines

This list here could be exhaustive, as there are so many great Chianti wines that have earned the premium Classico title.

However, a decent list of the top producers would look something like this:

Antinori, Bandini, Banfi, Barone Ricasoli, Bibbiano, Borgo Scopeto, Caparsa, Castello di Brolio,Castello de Monsanto, Castello di Tornano, Castello di Verrazzano, Castello di Volpaia, Don VincEnzo, Felsina, Fontodi, Rocca delle Macie, Ruffino, and Villa Cerna.

Pretty much any Chianti Classico produced by these wineries is going to be good. But obviously the quality will change by the year the wine was produced.

This is something that modern Chianti producers overcome by blending wines.

Modern Chianti Wines

Outside of the Chianti Classico Region, is the Greater Chianti Region, and this is where many of the modern, more consumer focused Chianti wines are being made.

Most of this region is fairly elevated, and therefore cooler. This makes the Chianti produced in this region less challenging to taste.

The main producers that are exploiting the increasing demand for modern Chinati are in the Arno Valley and the Rufina area. When you are shopping for modern Chianti, keep an eye out for either of those two regions on the label.

Chianti Wine Tours

From culturally historic Chianti Classico with its firm place as a fine wine, to the budget conscious modern Chianti wines produced in the Greater Chianti Region, all Chianti wines share similar properties.

The great combination of robust bouquet, with a less challenging body than heavier reds, make them perfect for accompanying food.

Yet despite these similar properties, many wineries really do differentiate themselves from the mainstream, by producing more interesting wines, with the same common theme.

For this reason, a wine tasting tour of the Chianti region is a thoroughly enthralling experience for your taste buds.

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Read about other Wine Tours?

More about Chianti

If you are more curious about how the Chianti region feels like, you can watch this whopping 27 minutes’ video about Greve in Chianti.

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