Regional feature: montalcino & Chianti Classico

Tuscany has long been a ‘gateway’ region for wine lovers everywhere—though if we’re talking quality, Chianti Classico and Montalcino are undeniably its crown jewels. Located in central / eastern Italy, these breathtaking regions are home to some of the world’s best—if not the best—Sangiovese production, which create the backbone to the areas’ eponymous wines, respectively.
 

Spanning from Florence to Siena (and Arezzo to Pisa from east to west), Chianti Classico is Tuscany’s answer to delicious, accessible wines that promise to please a variety of preferences. Although the earliest mentions of Chianti date back to the 14th century, it wasn’t until 1716 that Grand Duke Cosimo III outlined the boundaries for the Chianti Classico zone, which then received its official Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) status in 1967. The Chianti DOC was then elevated to a DOCG demarcation in 1984; however, 12 years later, Chianti Classico received its own DOCG status in 1996, separating—and celebrating—this smaller area’s stricter emphasis on quality control. Today, Chianti Classico is planted to around 7,000 hectares of vines, which span across 11 designated subzones