Chianti is a rural area located between the hills of the Chianti Mountains to the west and the rivers Arno Ombrone and Arbia to the east, an area located between the southern part of the province of Florence and the northern part of Siena’s one. It’s an hilly and rocky place, where lush vines, olives and vegetables grow among woods.The Chianti has been a place of conflicts among the cities who the dominated medieval Tuscany: Florence, Arezzo and Siena. In these hills there are many ancient villages, castles, villas, farms, churches, monasteries and watchtowers. The winemaking traditions of this area come from the Etruscans and then from Romans.

After 1000 AD the cultivation of the vine increased, often protected by fences or planted within the walls of the villages to defend it from cattle. But it was during the Renaissance that the Medici family, with the remediation carried out by Cosimo I, began the adventure that has lasted about five centuries now and gives us all one of the best and most famous wine in the world.
Originally the Tuscan wine was called “Vermiglio” (Vermilion) when it was red, or “Vernaccia” when it was white.

The name “Chianti” was adopted in 1398 AD, and in 1716 AD the Duke Cosimo III de Medici established the boundaries within which the Chianti could be produced. In 1932 AD, the Italian Government expanded the production area of Chianti creating seven sub-zones of production.

LINK: Pietro Melli, www.peterhouses.com