lthough Chianti, as a wine, is linked to a precise and well-defined geographical area, it is, in fact, a regional product. As long ago as 1716, a Grand Ducal Decree extended the production limits beyond the hilly zone recognized as Chianti. But it was only in 1932 that a vitivinicultural reality that had developed in the course of the 19th century because of the wine's success in Italy and throughout the world was definitively sanctioned by a ministerial decree.Chianti is a wine of extremely ancient origin but it was only in the Middle Ages that it began to be identified by the name of the geographical area in which it was produced. The first evidence of that transfer of name is contained in the letters of a noted Prato merchant, Francesco Datini, who lived from 1383 to 1410. Datini's references indicate that Chianti had assumed a purely enological significance by his day.
In the same period, the name Chianti was often applied to a certain vin vermiglio (vermilion wine) and a vin de Firenze (wine of Florence) and not to the wine of Chianti as the term is commonly understood today. With the intensification of trade and exports in the 17th century, the name of the region came to be universally accepted as the title of the celebrated product of its soil.
Chianti's early success was due in great part to the strict enforcement of the regulations of the League of Chianti. The league's rules represented a sort of disciplinary system in embryo. As part of its regulatory mission, the League categorically prohibited the initiation of harvesting before September 29 (the feast of St. Michael).
Following that somewhat mythical period, the real, verifiable history of Chianti began in the early 19th century. And a major role in it was played by Baron Bettino Ricasoli. The Baron, a member of the Accademia dei Georgofili, tested and retested various grape mixtures until he found the right balance. It is the same blend used today in making Chianti: Sangioveto, Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia.
The use of the so-called governo makes Chianti different from any other wine in Italy. The method involves the inducement of a second fermentation, after the wine has been racked, through the addition of a certain quantity of must pressed from selected, semi-dried grapes.
