Chianti Classico Wine: The Cream of the Crop

Chianti Classico is one of the most well-known wines in Italy. Produced in the Chianti region, this wine has a unique flavor and style that sets it apart from other wines produced around the world.

With its distinct taste, we rank Chianti Classico as one of our favorite wines to recommend when people visit Tuscany for Tuscan wine tours or for a Chianti wine tasting (degustazione vino chianti) experience.

Chianti Classico is a wine made from the Sangiovese red grape, grown in vineyards that are often found at high altitudes. This type of viticulture means that Chianti Classico grapes have to be dried out before they can be harvested and fermented into wine.

The particular climate where this grape grows necessitates dry weather with little humidity for much of the year, which has created one key difference between Italian wines and those produced elsewhere around the world: richness.

While other regions produce wines with more fruity flavors due to their temperate climes, Italy produces richer-style wines like Chianti Classico because it rarely rains enough during harvest season (the time when grapes are picked) or after harvest for the grapes to be waterlogged.

The dry climate also results in wines with more intense flavors, which helps Chianti Classico stand apart from other reds because it is so different than what people might find at a typical grocery store or wine shop.

The King of Italian Wines

This wine is so distinctive that it has been called the King of Italian Wines. In part, that’s because it is aged for a long time before release. Chianti Classico wines are typically ready to drink after aging anywhere from one and half years up to seven or eight years.

This means consumers who purchase the wine at this stage can enjoy its balance of flavors right away. However, those who wait until the wine has matured will find that it becomes more complex as the different elements come together in perfect harmony over time.