WTI Magazine #22    2014 Mar, 21
Author : Vino OK      Translation by:

One of the first documents that witnesses and mentions about this famous wine is undoubtedly represented by its classification, as originally drafted in 1398. Looking at these documents, we can understand how the Chianti was a white wine, it did not have a large diffusion and was not of high quality.

In the course of the following thirty years, on the contrary, the Chianti clearly became widespread as red wine. In the fifteenth century, Chianti arrived to high and important places, as well as many popes tasted it. Around 1713, two notices related to the Chianti were issued: the first mandatorily fixed boundaries that concerned the most prestigious wine producing areas where it was allowed to produce this wine.

The second call, however, concerned a kind of specification: thanks to these two documents a real record was established, because for the first time ever they were establishing, with legal methods, the circumscription of the area of production of an extremely valuable wine. More than two centuries passed before someone else decided to legally establish again the boundaries of an area for the production of a quality wine.

Only in the second part of the nineteenth century, however, the first important works were realized in the field of viticulture and wine of Tuscany: the authors were numerous, among the main there were Lawle, Pollacci and Bizzari, but especially Betto Ricasoli, one of the most eminent winemakers of that time, who was able to spread the quality of Chianti, exporting it to a large number of countries around the world.

In this way the true composition of the Chianti was formed: there were two varieties of red grapes (Sangiovese and Canaiolo), two varieties of white grapes (which were represented by Malvasia and Trebbiano). Confirmation at high levels did not wait: once Florence was established the capital of Italy, Chianti was launched on the market, both Italian and European (especially England).

Organoleptic characteristics
In the first place, the color of Chianti corresponds to a ruby extremely intense and vibrant, which becomes rather garnet once the wine ages. Regarding the smell, we can emphasize that it has an unmistakable mammolo perfume, which increasingly refines as time goes by. Finally, regarding taste, it always is rather harmonious, dry and slightly tannic, also refining as time goes by.

Pairings
Simply because the types of Chianti are very numerous, also the possibilities of coupling to the food are considerable high.

All the types of Chianti with a very thin body and fairly high alcohol content have to be served at a temperature of at least sixteen degrees: in this list of wines, we find the Chianti Colli Aretini, Colline Pisane e Montalbano.

In particular, the Chianti Colli Aretini is extremely spirited and can be enjoyed throughout the entire meal, being extremely pleasent with soups, fish stews and grilled meat.

The Chianti Montalbano has to be served at a temperature between 16 and 18 degrees, and it combines very well with roasted meats and fish stew.

The younger and more full-bodied Chianti can be also very well paired to all those tasty white meat that are subjected to prolonged cooking in a special sauce, although the true preference goes especially for the grilled meats.

The Chianti Colli Fiorentini, instead, is very effectively served with roasted meats, but also with roe deer steaks with mushrooms.