Chianti Classico, and/or the beginning

The beginning

Many years ago, I went to Italy for three weeks. Up until this trip, I had always been a casual wine drinker. I knew I liked reds that were probably from Italy. Mostly I preferred beer and cocktails, and I don’t think I would’ve been able to name a single grape grown in Italy.

Then I went there, and while I was in Florence, I went on a winery tour in the Chianti Classico wine region of Tuscany. The first part of this tour was a lesson in wine tasting: look at the color, swirl and smell, taste and swish, and most importantly, think. Something happened when I tasted my first glass of Chianti Classico using that process, and four years and many glasses of wine later, I’m starting a newsletter.

Everyone loves Chianti

When I hear the word “Chianti”, it immediately evokes Italian-American restaurants in the suburbs where the portions are large and the wine is served too warm. It’s not a favorable impression. Chianti is by far the most popular Italian red wine consumed in America, and the Chianti/Chianti Classico regions in Italy are some of the top-producing wine regions in the world.

What do these words actually mean, though?

Italy is an Old World producer of wine. “Old World” is a loaded phrase and means a lot of different things, but in this context, all we need to know is that Old World countries label their bottles by the region where the wine comes from, and not by the grape. There is no grape varietal named “Chianti”. Let’s look at a map of Tuscany (from the excellent site Wine Folly):

The category “Chianti” encompasses pretty much any wine made in the orange region on the map. If you’re in a particular sub-region, like Chianti Classico, and your wine doesn’t meet the rigorous standard required to be able to put “Chianti Classico” on the label, you can simply call it Chianti. This is why a lot of us have poor memories of Chianti wine - it can be aged for as little as 6 months, and thus the quality varies wildly.

There are excellent wines labeled “Chianti” out there for a great value. Anything with the DOC or DOCG sticker, meaning the wine has passed the standards of the region, is a good bet. (A topic for another day is on the wine appellation standards of Italy!)

Grape Expectations (ha ha)

If you really want to drink excellent wine from Chianti, look to its sub-regions, such as Chianti Classico. To be able to label your wine “Chianti Classico”, it must be aged for at least a year and ideally 2-3. To get the prestigious “Chianti Classico Riserva” label, it has to be aged for at least 3 years and ideally up to 5. Young Chiantis can be too tart — the aging process helps balance the acidity in the wine and bring out more structure.

The famous grape varietal of Tuscany is Sangiovese, and according to Italian wine standards, bottles labeled “Chianti” have to be at least 70% Sangiovese. Those from Chianti Classico have to be at least 80% Sangiovese. Why? I don’t know, so that’s another topic for another day. Just remember — when you hear “Tuscany”, just think Sangiovese.

So what does Chianti Classico taste like? Delicious ripe red fruits and cherries, spice and floral notes, and well-balanced acidity and tannic structure. I could drink Chianti Classico all day, every day, and never get tired of it. It’s meant to be consumed with delicious Tuscan cuisine, but as a medium-bodied wine, you can get away with opening it on a lazy afternoon. It may very well be my favorite kind of wine. It was the first that made me obsessed.

This article from Wine Enthusiast is a good intro to the region as well.

Where to find it?

Everywhere. Literally everywhere. The Kroger grocery store in my hometown in Southeastern Michigan carries Chianti Classico. I’ve had excellent Chianti Classicos in the $13-$30 range. You don’t need to splurge to get a great bottle.

Other regions to look at are Chianti Ruffina and Chianti Montespertoli, same price range.

What I’m drinking this week

I’m going to conclude my posts with details on what I’ve been drinking lately.

Yesterday I opened Treterre’s Etna Rosso, from Sicily. I usually love Nerello Mascalese wines but this one was only decent. This is a much better Nerello Mascalese from Mt. Etna.

I literally just opened Cruse Wine Co’s Sparkling St. Laurent pétillant naturel. I could do a whole newsletter about pet nats, and I don’t care how “millennial” it is. In fact, I probably will. Please buy it. Yeasty cherry deliciousness, with some grapefruit on the nose.

Finally, I had an Albariño two days ago that I’m still thinking about, from Bodegas Forjas del Salnas in Rias Baixas, Galicia, Spain. Two words: salty peaches. If that doesn’t get you going, then I don’t know what to say.