Amicable split takes place in Tuscany

“This effectively cuts the umbilical cord that has continued to connect the two distinct denominations," said Giuseppe Liberatore, director of the Consorzio Chianti Classico.

Chianti Classico is the original wine region laid out by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo de Medici III, in 1716.

In 1932 the government expanded the region to include large areas of land that were never part of the original Chianti Classico. Producers in this new larger denomination could then capitalise on the name and popularity of one of Italy’s premium fine wine regions. 

The Chianti Classico region was relegated to sub-zone status in the 1932 laws and in 1967 the new regional boundaries were recognised in DOC law.

In the following 78 years the Consorzio of Chianti Classico has fought for greater recognition and autonomy for the region and has put a stop to counterfeiting whenever it surfaced.

In 1984 they gained their first victory when the Chianti Classico region was awarded its very own DOCG. In 1996 a ministerial decree declared Chianti Classico a completely autonomous region with zone and production regulations distinct from Chianti wine.

The recent ruling separates the two for good. It states that within the Chianti Classico region, “it is prohibited to plant or declare in grape-growing records vineyards for Chianti DOCG”. 

Two of the fundamental differences between the two regions is that in Chianti, white grapes are allowed in the final blend whereas Chianti Classico must be 100% Sangiovese. The latter region also enforces lower yields than its larger neighbour.

Rupert Millar, 11.02.10