Chianti
A
Chianti wine is any wine produced in the Chianti region, in central Tuscany. It was historically associated with a squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, called a
fiasco; however, the
fiasco is only used by a few makers of the wine now; most Chianti is now bottled in more standard shaped wine bottles. Baron Bettino Ricasoli created the Chianti recipe of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo and 15% Malvasia bianca in the middle of the nineteenth century. The first definition of a wine-area called
Chianti was made in 1716. It described the area near the villages of Gaiole, Castellina and Radda; the so-called
Lega del Chianti and later
Provincia del Chianti. In 1932 the Chianti area was completely re-drawn and divided in seven sub-areas: Classico, Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colline Pisane, Colli Senesi, Montalbano and Rùfina. Most of the villages that in 1932 were suddenly included in the new Chianti Classico area added
in Chianti to their name-such as Greve in Chianti which amended its name in 1972. Wines labelled "Chianti Classico" come from the biggest sub-area of Chianti, that includes the original Chianti heartland.