Chianti Classico: In Search of the Most Noble Wine of Tuscany

The book tells an engaging story of an ancient land called Chianti and the modern wine-making region known as Chianti Classico. In 1716, the penultimate ruler of Tuscany from the Medici dynasty, Cosimo III, declared Chianti along with three other areas of the Florentine Republic the first official appellations in the world. In the following centuries, this important historical event was almost forgotten. By the end of the 19th century, the word «chianti» symbolized not this historical region and its famous wines, but an ordinary Italian red table wine in a bulging bottle with a straw wrap.
In the 21st century, Chianti Classico is gradually becoming one of the most dynamic and fashionable wine-making areas in Italy. The book traces the evolution of Chianti with its complex and tangled geography and culture. Along with the myths and mysteries of this legendary wine region, the secrets of Sangiovese—the most important grape variety for Chianti—will also be revealed.