Wine For The Student

Wine For The Student Participates in Chianti Masterclass: Tradition and Innovation

Wine is one of the pleasures of the world that stands the test of time, and of all the wines in the world, Chianti is one of the most

Chianti is the order of the day at April's Chianti Masterclass at the Grand Hyatt

timeless. It’s been the stepping stone for many wine enthusiasts who’ve ventured deep into the world of Italian wine and came out champs on the other side. In mid-April, a gathering of wine professionals and winemakers joined together to taste through some current releases of Chianti and discuss the happenings of this epi-center of Tuscan wine production.

The event was hosted by the Chianti Consortium, the primary governing body of Chianti wines that aims to promote the wines and wineries of Chianti. Wine For The Student took part in the festivities and was part of the tasting panel moderated by Master of Wine, Jean K. Reilly. In attendance were more than 100 journalists and trade professionals seeking to revisit and rediscover the origins of one of Italy’s most important appellations.

Part of the discussion was based on the evolution of the wine producing region from its epic rise in the 70s to its jug-like wine demise in the 80s. The success of Chianti in the early 70s led to a rapid expansion of the growing area, and the quality of the wine quickly plummeted. The lowpoint came when inexpensive chianti wine, bottled in the straw fiasco bottles, became the centerpiece of every Italian-American restaurant in the United States. Although the sales volume was unprecedented, the quality of the wine was in serious question. It took a while for Chianti producers to turn away from large quantity production and re-focus on the quality of their grapes.

The rules of Chianti production have been tweaked over time, but the following are the most up-to-date deets of Tuscany’s kingpin of wines:

- Minimum 70% Sangiovese

- additional grapes upto 30%, with a maximum of 10% for white grape varieties

- maximum 15% for Cabernet varieties

- maximum 90 quintals yield per hectare

The latest production puts out over 100,000,000 million bottles of Chianti, still a staggering number, but the future is brighter for the image of chianti’s producers.

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