Road through a vineyard near Chianti




Grape harvest, Chianti





Chianti Troubadour

 

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Welcome to Chianti
From Jesse's Journeys in  Italy

Population: n/a
Official site:
n/a
Wikipedia: n/a
Map:
MapQuest (for Greve)


The territory of Chianti runs on pretty much a north/south axis from Florence down to Siena. It is the famous land of vineyards and hilltop towns, with Greve, Radda and Castellina forming a triangle in the very heart of Chianti.
The area is bordered to the west by the Florence - Siena autostrada, passing first by San Casciano Val di Pesa, the largest town in the area, and on to Poggibonsi.  However, the 'classic' route is via the 'Chiantigiana', the N222, which winds up and down through the hills and valleys of this most popular area.

Many British and northern Europeans have relocated here, drawn by the unhurried life, balmy climate, and charming villages.  There are in fact so many Britons, that the area has been nick-named Chiantishire.  Still, it remains strongly Tuscan in character, and you'll be drawn to the views framiing vine-quilted hills and elgantly elegantly elongated cypress trees.

About Chianti wine:
from Wikipedia

Chianti is Italy's most famous red wine. It used to be easily identified by its squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, 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 labeled 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 is not the only traditional wine made in Tuscany, and there are also new wines, usually based on sangiovese and some popular french grape that are usually dubbed "Super Tuscans".

Region of Tuscany

 

Directions

By Car: Drive the A1 south of Florence, or take the "scenic route" the N222.

Directory

 


Outside the walls of Chianti

 

 

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