Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

Chianti wine: Everything you want to know about this charming drink

There's something special about this Italian superstar

By
Wine, cheese and grapes spread
penofoto.de/Adobe Stock

It doesn’t get much more quintessentially Italian than Chianti. Everything about this wine – even the bottle itself – simply sings of romantic sidewalk cafes, gorgeously flowing fountains, and lush Italian countryside picnics. It’s hard to even open a bottle without hearing Pavarotti singing from somewhere in the distant corners of our minds.

But what is it about this charmingly classic wine that makes it so famous? What does Chianti actually taste like? What’s the difference between Chianti and Chianti Classico? And which foods are best served with this staple of Italian culture? We’re here to answer all of the questions you’ve ever asked yourself about Chianti.

Recommended Videos

What is Chianti wine?

Red wine being poured into a glass
Africa Studio / Shutterstock

You may know Chianti simply for its signature rotund bottle that often sits inside an accompanying straw basket, known as a fiasco. The original purpose of the fiasco was to protect the fragile glass Chianti bottles, giving them a layer of padding during transportation. Over the years, though, the quality of glass has improved immensely, changing in both quality and shape, deeming fiascos unnecessary. Though, many Chianti winemakers still use them in the name of tradition and aesthetics. And if you have a good bottle of Chianti, the inside is just as interesting as the outside.

Related: 
Upgrade your daily routine with the best smartwatches for men

Chianti (kee-on-tee) is an Italian red blend made primarily from Sangiovese grapes and known for its notes of red fruit, dried herbs, balsamic, espresso, and tobacco.

While to be considered Chianti, the wine must be produced in Tuscany, Chianti Classico (a more prestigious label – more on this in a moment) must come specifically from the Chianti region of Tuscany.

Are Chianti and Sangiovese the same?

We’ve said it many, many times: The world of wine can be incredibly confusing, especially the world of Italian wine. The Chianti/Sangiovese confusion is real, and we’re here to help.

To put it simply, no, these wines are not the same. Chianti wine, while made from Sangiovese grapes, can only come from Tuscany, Italy. Chianti Classico can only come from the Chianti region in Tuscany. Sangiovese wine, also made from Sangiovese grapes, can be produced anywhere in the world.

All Chianti contains Sangiovese grapes, usually blended with other varietals that offer differing textures, flavors, and finishes. Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah are popular choices that blend beautifully with Sangiovese for a great Chianti or Chianti Classico.

Chianti classifications

Like many wines, Chianti is rich with a colorful history that can be tricky to pinpoint precisely. The general understanding, though, is that the first Chianti wine zone was established by Grand Duke Cosimo Medici III in 1716 and promoted to a DOCG in 1984. This larger Chianti region encompasses much of Tuscany but is broken down into seven smaller subzones, each with its individual take on Chianti, including popular labels like Chianti Rufina and Chianti Colli Senesi.

Chianti Classico, while once a Chianti subzone, has been recognized as an independent denomination since 1996, making it the oldest original area protected by an independent DOCG. This area includes the towns of Greve, Panzano, Radda, Gaiole, Castellina, and Castelnuovo Berardenga. To be considered Chainto Classico, a wine must come specifically from this region and adhere to a set of very high standards involving everything from growing practices to aging to the wine’s alcohol content.

The best way to distinguish a true bottle of Chianti Classico is by the black rooster emblem on the wine’s label. This symbol is a tremendously prestigious and important badge of honor for any bottle to which it is awarded and the most surefire way to identify a true bottle of Chianti Classico.

Chianti aging

Wine aging is a funny thing. While many wines produced today aren’t meant to be aged, there still are a handful of Chiantis that are best after a little time. Common labeling terms you will see concerning a Chianti’s age are as follows:

  • Superiore: Aged for one year
  • Riserva: Aged for two years
  • Gran Selezione: Aged for 2 and a half years or more (only Chianti Classico)

Chianti food pairings

Chianti’s medium to full body, high acidity, and heavy tannins make it the perfect wine to pair with richly flavorful, bold dishes. Its strong acid content stands up perfectly to Italian classics like marinara sauces, pizzas, and other baked pasta dishes. Chianti’s gorgeous tannins also make light of fatty meats like roasts and dry-aged steaks.

We especially love to serve Chianti with an Italian-themed charcuterie board. Hard Italian cheeses like aged Parmesan are beautifully matched with Chianti, as are deliciously curred and salty meats like prosciutto, salami, or mortadella.

Lindsay Parrill
Lindsay Parrill
Contributor
Lindsay is a graduate of California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, from where she holds a degree in…
Topics

Editors’ Recommendations

Instant espresso powder vs. instant coffee: What you need to know
Are these two powdered coffees the same?
instant coffee powder

Even though I love cooking, baking, and making coffee at home, I often don't think of using coffee products in baked goods. Mainly, I think of coffee mostly as a drink. I love to whip up the occasional espresso martini at home, but I've only recently started experimenting with instant espresso powder when I bake. Recently, I've discovered that instant espresso powder and powdered instant coffee are two entirely different products, even though they look similar. Whether you're a home cook, aspiring barista, or simply a coffee lover, here's what you should know about instant espresso powder vs. instant coffee.
What is instant espresso powder?

Instant espresso powder is made by drying and grinding espresso beans that have already been brewed. Once ground and dried, the powder becomes dissolvable in water. Unlike instant coffee, instant espresso powder isn't meant to be brewed as espresso to drink, as it is too concentrated. I've tried the Dellalo Instant Espresso Powder and the King Arthur Baking Espresso Powder. I've found that espresso powder isn't as easy to find in stores as you'd think, so I'd recommend planning and ordering it online if you need it for a recipe.

Read more
A beginner’s guide to sherry wine, an incredibly misunderstood drink
Sherry deserves another chance. Here's a breakdown of the classic fortified wine
Sherry fortified wine in a glass

Sherry, for those in the know, is absolutely wonderful. More often than not, though, it still draws a wince from the casual restaurant or bar-goer (another fortified wine, port, knows how it feels). The stereotypes -- cheap, used only for cooking, only consumed by old people -- are pervasive, much to sherry's discredit. It's time to change all that.
The last several years have seen beer become more like wine and wine become more oxidative (e.g., natural wine styles, Jura Chardonnay, skin-fermented or orange wines, etc.). Sherry has held a certain esteem throughout, wearing its nutty, briny, dried fruit flavors on its shimmering gold sleeves and for good reason -- the sherry designation contains some of the driest as well as the sweetest wines on the planet. No matter what sort of wine you are looking for, chances are you can find something similar to it within the category.
In terms of its presence on the restaurant scene, sherry appears to be enjoying a kind of hipster revival -- as evidenced by a few "Is sherry enjoying a revival?" stories making the rounds. This, however, might be the exception that probably proves the rule: Sherry consumption has tanked over the last 50-odd years. It became decidedly uncool during the 1980s and increasingly associated with the ascot-wearing type of older gentleman. I'm here to tell you that, in fact, sherry is absolutely wonderful and comes in a variety of expressions.

What is sherry?

Read more
Is your wine laced with forever chemicals? What a new study says
This stuff doesn't go away, either
Group toasting with wine glasses

Recent tests conducted by Pesticide Action Network Europe have shown a shocking rise in the detectable levels of TFA, or triflouroacetic acid, in wines sampled from ten EU countries. TFA is a persistent breakdown product of chemicals used in refrigeration and agriculture, and is thought to pose a threat to human reproduction and liver toxicity.

The numbers are alarming. "We see an exponential rise in TFA levels in wine since 2010," the organization wrote in their report. "TFA was not detected in wines from before 1988, while wines from 2021–2024 show average levels of 122 μg/L, with some peaks of over 300 μg/L." Additionally, wines with higher TFA levels also demonstrated increased amounts of synthetic pesticide residues. This was expected, because TFAs have long been associated with long-lasting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used in pesticides. According to the EPA, PFAS substances are also found in fluorinated containers, a treatment intended to make these packages less permeable.

Read more