Historical
Notes
The first notarial document in which the name Chianti appeared in reference to the wine produced in the zone dates to 1398 and in the 17th century exports to England became increasingly frequent. With the agrarian revival in Tuscany in the early 18th century, the sharecropper system came to dominate Chianti and the landscape was enriched because of the different way in which work was organized. Many of the farmhouses, as well as the physical layout of the properties, which has survived, date to that period. From the end of the 19th century to the threshold of the third millennium, Chianti Classico wine has steadily reinforced its position in the affections of wine lovers throughout the world and thereby assured the prosperity and well-being of the region.
Siena and Florence are the capitals of Chianti, which is shared between the provinces of the two communities. The zone amounts to 70,000 hectares (172,900 acres) and includes the entire territories of the communes of Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti and Radda in Chianti and parts of those of Barberino Val d'Elsa, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Poggibonsi, San Casciano Val di Pesa and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa. Forests occupy almost two-thirds of the zone. Oaks grow just about everywhere, while chestnuts thrive primarily on the eastern side of the district. Conifers are concentrated at higher altitudes, while stands of pines are common on the low hills to the south of Florence. Wild animals are not as numerous as they once were but it is still possible to observe pheasants, wild boar, hares and roebucks in the zone.
The Chianti wine-producing area was delimited in 1932 by ministerial decree and the boundaries have remained unchanged since then. The decree described the district where Chianti Classico is produced as the "the oldest zone of origin," thereby recognizing its primacy and according it a special identity. Even at that time, the Chianti territory, as it exists today, was recognized as the original production zone of Chianti Classico wine, a wine that to be distinguished from Chiantis created later and produced in zones different from the Chianti territory, had to be identified by the term "Classico." Classico means, therefore, "the first" or "the original."
The Chianti Classico climate is of a continental type, with relatively low temperatures in winter (4-5 degrees C. or 39-41 degrees F.) and dry, hot summers in which it is not rare for the mercury to rise as high as 35 degrees (95). Temperatures do not vary substantially in the course of a day, which is partly due to altitudes that range from 250 to 600 meters (820-1,968 feet) and exceed 800 meters (2,624 feet) in the Chianti Mountains.
The terrains in the zone are just as diverse as the altitudes and the various types of soil characteristic of the Chianti Classico zone bear no relation to the communal boundaries. However, it can be said that marl predominates at San Casciano in Val di Pesa, while calcareous clay is found in substantial quantity in the soils around Greve in Chianti as well as in all zones at lower altitudes. Sandstone constitutes the backbone of the Chianti Mountains, while limestone is substantially present in the central and southern parts of the district. Tufa is the characteristic stone of much of the countryside around Castelnuovo Berardenga. Ridges consisting principally of sandstone have a severe and steep appearance, while those with substantial calcareous material are softer and more rounded in shape. The hills in which clay is the major component are even gentler. However, an abundance of fragmented rock in the form of stones and pebbles primarily of limestone is a common aspect of the Chianti Classico zone. As to meteorological conditions, annual rainfall measures about 700-800 millimeters. Rain falls principally in the late autumn and spring.
The characteristics of the climate, terrains and altitudes, which are unfavorable for most crops, have made Chianti Classico a region that excels in the production of premium wines. Rows of vines alternating with olive orchards are a characteristic feature of the Chianti landscape. About 7,000 hectares (17,290 acres) of vineyards entered on the DOCG Register for the production of Chianti Classico make this appellation one of the most important in Italy.
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