MARKETING: CHIANTI: The key to Chianti

Produced within a vast stretch of land, Italy’s most famous red wine is mired in confusion, not least in the distinction between Chianti and Chianti Classico. Alexis Hercules asks how it can better present itself to aid our understanding

An area that stretches almost 100 miles from north to south, even more extensive than the Bordeaux wine region, is allowed to produce wine labelled simply “Chianti”. This in itself could be regarded as problematic, with the potential for too many low quality wines being produced and, as has happened to Bordeaux in recent times, a dilution in the level of quality as perceived by consumers.

Another minefield is Italy’s complicated system of quality designations that goes from DOCG to Vino da Tavola (see  legal framework box). In addition to this, the restrictive practices of the DOC prior to the 1990s gave rise to rebellious “Super Tuscans”, an unofficial category of Tuscan wines (see Super Tuscans box).

Today, Chianti as a brand is attempting to haul itself out of this confusion with a definitive and easily recognisable identity. However, there are still some distinctions to be made, mainly concerning the differences between Chianti and Chianti Classico – the original rather than the expanded zone, and a settling of the argument as to whether the wine has to be made purely from Sangiovese, Italy’s most planted (and temperamental) grape variety, for it to be a “true” Chianti.

“The 1960s was like the dark ages in terms of development,” says Francesco Ricasoli, owner and CEO of Barone Ricasoli, whose great-great-great grandfather, Bettino Ricasoli, is credited with developing the statute of the original Chianti Classico appellation, based on 80% Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino. “The legislators who allowed different grapes did so as these grapes grew on their land. Trebbiano was never in the original Chianti recipe.”

Ricasoli is particularly passionate about the fact that the terroir is the most important thing when it comes to his wine, and not the grape. Barone Ricasoli is one of Chianti Classico’s most historic estates, having occupied an area within Gaiole in Chianti since 1141, but wine production was out of the family hands for 20 years passing from Seagram to Hardy’s, until Francesco re-acquired it in 1993. After this he embarked on a massive renovation project with the aim of restoring it to a representative role within both the territory and the international market. The fact that when Francesco took over, Ricasoli was producing 9 million bottles of wine under 30 different labels – an industrial scale –  highlights the concerns over quality that existed.

“We’ve been losing a lot of time, particularly because of the 1980s,” says Francesco, “now there is huge investment both outside and in the cellar. All the vines have been replanted since 1994, and the soil has been changed. We are getting back to being a leader in the region, and in partnerships with universities and institutions, we are embarking on programmes of research. We will have an underground cellar next year that will be modern and simple, and we are looking to produce smaller grapes more resistant to rot. We also have less quantity of grapes per vine.”

Invest and innovate
Ricasoli is the number one Italian winery in Sweden, where its IGT bag-in-box is a market leader. Chianti Classico cannot be produced in this format, but Francesco wouldn’t do it anyway. Though when it comes to the UK, he is aware of the challenge. “The UK is a very specific market, and very competitive.”

Modernisation and investment are not just restricted to Barone Ricasoli, however. Indeed, the whole region has been seeing huge investment, leading Francesco to recognise that they are “not necessarily in competition with Bordeaux and Rioja. There is room for everyone. If anything, the competition is between the different producers of the region”.

It seems that the area is in the midst of a bout of Italian one-upmanship, with the Fonterutoli estate, located 5km south of Castellina in Chianti (Siena), and owned by the Mazzei family since 1435, also undergoing huge modernisation and investment. Filippo Mazzei is the current producer, and he is extremely proud of what has been achieved, particularly with the new, very modern, winery and cellar.

“Nowhere in Italy has a cellar like this. Building started in 2003, the vineyards have been replanted and there has been research into Sangiovese as a grape.” Overall the investment in the winery and cellar cost e15.5m (£12.1m), and Filippo described it as “an investment in a concept. High-end investing in a cellar is a risk and you really have to think about it. We are working on the image of the brand, not only with the trade but also with the consumer.”

Filippo is also of the belief that terroir takes precedence over the grape when considering the quality of Chianti and Chianti Classico. “We don’t concentrate so much on the recipe, grape or purity, we are working on the terroir. The story of Chianti was never 100% Sangiovese, because the grape is so variable. Our philosophy is blending, blending, blending.”

Distinction
Cecchi is another historic estate, and much more of a scale producer operating in the Chianti Classico region. Founded by Luigi Cecchi in Poggibonsi in 1893, it now comprises four estates in some of Italy’s most prestigious wine regions: Chianti Classico, San Gimignano, the Tuscan Maremma, and Umbria. The current owners, Cesare and Andrea, represent the fourth generation of this family, and both are keen to set clearer definitions for their wine.

“It is important to make a distinction between Chianti and Chianti Classico,” says Cesare, “as in many situations these two appellations are considered the same. In fact, they are two different wines in terms of vinification, ageing system and pricing. Moreover, they come from distinctive areas of production.

“For sure they are the most famous Italian wines in the world and therefore all the foreign markets have great potential. Some of the markets are more important than others in terms of volume. Germany, the UK and the USA are key markets, but the wines are also well known throughout Europe.

“Chianti has a certain market and Chianti Classico another,” he continues. “Of course, after the domestic market, the UK and the USA are the most important markets, together with Germany. The UK is a great supporter of Chianti, while our best sales of Chianti Classico are in Germany and the USA.”

His brother, Andrea, expands upon this: “Chianti must be produced as the market requires. It needs to be easy and fresh with good colour, low acidity and very clean.

“This year we have had an important restoration of the vineyards in Tuscany,” he continues, “not only changing varietals, but also intensifying the plantation per hectare. Since Chianti is a wide area, the subzone, expressing the different terroir, plays a real and important role. This allows us to maintain the character and peculiarity of the land it comes from, integrating the innovation provided by these important changes. There will always be a market share for Chianti, no matter what the trend is, thanks to its solid basis.”

Enotria, a UK specialist in New World and European wine importation and distribution, backs up this declaration. It started with Italian wines in 1972, and it states that 84% of UK consumers are aware of Chianti. The positive image of Tuscany is a massive plus point for this, and Enotria is keen for Chianti to be promoted as a wine to be enjoyed with food, with the claim that Chianti drinkers are more involved in the wine category overall, eager to spend in both the off- and on-trade on top quality wines.

However, Sergio de Luca, Enotria’s director of buying for Italian wines, acknowledges that the region does face some problems. “We have seen from our research that Chianti is valued highly in the UK, but there is a need for focus,” he says.

“There is still confusion about the product and the differentiation of the legal aspects. For example, there is not a clear idea of what Chianti is and why it is different from the Classico. If we then enter into Superiore and Riserva styles, the confusion will get bigger.

“The territory has not found a clear and united message and this creates confusion at consumer level. There are many price segmentations and that adds to a non-confidence aspect for the consumer. The solutions could be found through a clear and united message, and in a body that will embrace the territory as a whole and not the fragmentation we are seeing now.”

Whatever occurs, the investment and potential clarification can only be good things for the region. There seems to be a general agreement that Chianti Classico, from selected vineyards and grapes, is the future for Tuscany. If a clearer, distinctive and unified message can be relayed to consumers, both Chianti and Chianti Classico could be set for a bigger market share in the years to come. 

db © September 2008