Taste Chianti
Wine country favorite recipes
The beauty of living in Florence for 20 years, is that it’s an easy place to visit the countryside in any direction. The area south of Florence called Chianti ( Clante) was contested between Florence and Siena for a long time. It is a wine producing region with rules and regulations as well as a geographical area. The dark red area is where you can produce Chianti Classico the other wines produced in the grey area are simple Chianti’s.
The story goes that to set up the borders between Florence and Siena, they decided to have riders on horseback take off at the crack of dawn when the roosters crowed and where they met on the road would be the new border.
Florentines are said to have not fed their rooster and it woke up earlier due to hunger and the rider took off first and the border is much closer to Siena rather than equal distance from Florence.
The predominent grape used in making Chianti is San Giovese. Over the years, the “recipe” has changed. When it was that light wine in straw covered flasks, it was a wine meant to be drunk the year it was made. San Giovese, Cannaiolo, Malvasia and Trebbiano. Two red wine grapes and two white wine grapes. Now, over the years, it has been modified to be able to age. The white wine grapes were removed and other red wine grapes allowed to be used. I say allowed as the Consorzio Chianti Classico has rules and regulations to follow.
There are those who started breaking the rules awhile back, their wine was San Giovese with perhaps a Merlot or a Cabernet added for structure or simply a 100% San Giovese aged in smaller barrels, more French style. These could not be called Chianti so they were called Vino da Tavola, table wine.
Now, they are known as Super Tuscans!
I remember the day in the shops that the shelves where empty as all the “super Tuscan” table wines disappeared to be relabeled.
The EU declared all excess table wine vineyards were to be suppressed, as there was an over abbundence. They reappeared labeled as I.G.T. Indication of Geographical Typicity. So were now protected.
Most locals still drink simple table wine and it’s inexpensive and delicious.
You may find Vino Sfuso, bulk wine where you can bring in our bottles and get them filled for a really inexpensive price! It’s fun too.
Every month with the Market Guide I then follow up with regional recipes. This month I am including:
Schiacciata con l’uva
Peposo: Chianti beef stew
Pasta Briaca, using wine to create a pasta sauce!
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Next month we go to Naples.