Chianti is Italy's most famous red wine. It used to be easily identified by its squat bottles covered in straw baskets, called fiaschi.

It is produced in Tuscany, in strictly delimited areas among the provinces of Florence, Siena, Arezzo and Grosseto. It is based mainly on Sangiovese grapes but also includes other varieties. Chianti is a DOC, but corresponds to a much larger area than the region originally known as Chianti. Wine from this smaller region is labelled Chianti Classico and is a DOCG. It typically has a picture of a black rooster (known in Italian as a gallo nero) on the neck of the bottle. Chianti Classico that meets slightly more stringent requirements, primarily with respect to aging, may be labelled Chianti Classico Riserva.

Chianti Classico region

The region consists of five main communities

• Greve in Chianti
  • Montefioralle
  • Convertoie
  • Montegonzi
  • Canonica
  • Castello di Uzzano
  • Castello di Verrazano
• Radda in Chianti
  • Volpaia
• Castellina in Chianti
• San Casciano Val di Pesa
  • Mercatale Val di Pesa
  • Faltignano
  • Campoli
• Gaiole in Chianti
  • Castello di Brolio

External links

• Pictures of the Chianti Classico region (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chianti_(Gebiet))
• Photographs of Chianti and Tuscany (http://www.lodgephoto.com/galleries/IT/chianti)

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