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History Of Chianti

When we look at the History of Chianti we see that there are many theories as to the origin of the name Chianti. The most popular theory is that Chianti used to be called "clangor" which is Latin and means the cry of a bird. What is known for sure is that the history of Chianti dates back to before the 15th century and that the name Chianti was well established in the early fifteenth century. Interestingly, Chianti Wine in those days actually referred to a white wine.

When looking at the history of Chianti, we see that in the 1960's there was still a Chianti Blanco and the regulations at the time still allowed for red wines to contain as much as 30% White Wine Grapes. Those regulations date back to 1894 and did achieve better quality Chianti wine. While this produced a much improved Chianti wine, many growers still found these rules too restrictive and this gave rise to Super Tuscans.

When we look at the history of Chianti we see that Super Tuscans were wines made from the same Chianti Grapes and even come from the same vineyards as traditional Chianti wines. The difference is that they did not adhere to the regulations and were therefore labelled as table wines. The regulations were eventually altered and Super Tuscans were allowed back into the fold.

There has been a re-assessment of Chianti wines under way and ever higher standards are being produced which is allowing for the very best wines to be created. Chianti wines are indeed making a big come back largely due to the increased quality of Chianti wines in recent years. The quality has to be there but perhaps the two main reasons Chianti wines have been popular over the years is that they have wonderful ageing potential and are such great wines to enjoy with a large variety of foods. (see also Wine and Food Pairing, Wine and Cheese Pairing and Chianti Wine Recommendations)