Chianti Classico: The Search for Tuscany's Noblest Wine

by Bill Nesto MW, Frances Di Savino

Overview

“An important new book on Chianti Classico: Winners of the André Simon 2013 award for their book The World of Sicilian Wine, Nesto and Di Savino have produced the investigative, scholarly and detailed book that Chianti Classico has long deserved. Nesto and Di Savino are brilliant historic investigators. . . . A must-read for anyone seriously interested in wine.”—Walter Speller, JancisRobinson.com

This book tells the story of the ancient land named Chianti and the modern wine appellation known as Chianti Classico. In 1716, Tuscany’s penultimate Medici ruler, Cosimo III, anointed the region of Chianti, along with three smaller areas in the Florentine State, as the world’s first legal appellations of origin for wine. In the succeeding centuries, this milestone was all but forgotten. By the late nineteenth century, the name Chianti, rather than signifying this historic region and its celebrated wine, identified a simple Italian red table wine in a straw-covered flask.
 
In the twenty-first century, Chianti Classico emerged as one of Italy’s most dynamic and fashionable wine zones. Chianti Classico relates the fascinating evolution of Chianti as a wine region and reveals its geographic and cultural complexity. Bill Nesto, MW, and Frances Di Savino explore the townships of Chianti Classico and introduce readers to the modern-day winegrowers who are helping to transform the region. The secrets of Sangiovese, the principal vine variety of Chianti, are also revealed as the book unlocks the myths and mysteries of one of Italy’s most storied wine regions. The publication of Chianti Classico coincides with the three hundredth anniversary of the Medici decree delimiting the region of Chianti on September 24, 1716.

Winner of the following awards:
2016 André Simon Food & Drink Book Award: Drink Books Category
2017 International Organization of Vines and Wine: Jury Award, Monographs
2017 International World Cookbook Awards: Sustainable, For the Public Category
2017 Gourmand International World Cookbook Awards: Drink Special Awards Category

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520284425
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	09/20/2016
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	360
Sales rank:	1,038,291
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Bill Nesto is a Master of Wine and a founder of the Wine Studies Program at Boston University, where he is also a Senior Lecturer. 
 
Frances Di Savino is an attorney with a background in medieval and Renaissance studies and is Bill’s partner in life and on the wine road. Bill and Frances coauthored The World of Sicilian Wine, which won the André Simon Book Award in 2013.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

Acknowledgments xi

Preface xiii

1 The Original Chianti 1

2 The Evolution of Chianti through Bettino Ricasoli: The 1600s to the 1870s 21

3 The Birth of Chianti Classico and External Chianti: The 1870s to 1945 35

4 Chianti Classico Enters the Global Market: 1945 to the Present 59

5 Chianti's Hidden Roads 96

6 The Geography of Chianti Classico 105

7 The Secret of Sangiovese 117

8 Viticulture in Chianti 132

9 Enology in Chianti 161

10 Chianti Classico Winegrowers by Subzone 189

11 The Medici Code 252

Afterword 273

Notes 277

Selected Bibliography 297

Works Cited 299

Index 313

Editorial Reviews

"Everything you always wanted to know about Chianti Classico (and lots more!) . . . . Does Chianti Classico live up to my high expectations for it? Yes! A great book for anyone who loves Chianti or Tuscany or … wine!

The Wine Economist

"A fascinating account of a peerless viticultural legacy. . . . Husband and wife Bill Nesto MW and Frances Di Savino make a winning combination, with Frances penning the lion's share of the meticulously researched historical chapters and Bill doing the heavy lifting with sections on Sangiovese, viticulture, and enology."
 

The World of Fine Wine

Bill Nesto and Frances Di Savino embrace the story, landscape and culture of Chianti Classico . . . . Ultimately, this is the story of a region in search of identity and reputation, a compelling read for anyone who enjoys the wines of Chianti Classico or Tuscany.

The Wine Spectator

"Nesto and Di Savino have crafted the most complete Chianti overview that has probably ever existed."

1WineDude

‘A profound desire to find the truth’ about Chianti Classico. . . . Offers a deep dive into the history, viticulture, and enology of Chianti Classico, the wine region and appellation situated snugly between Florence and Siena, distinct from the surrounding production zone simply called Chianti.

The Boston Globe

A great book for a wine geek.

Olive

"How the perception of Chianti Classico has evolved and changed over the years, to the point where it's held in high esteem, is an interesting Italian history lesson that the authors are eager to tell. Then it turns into a delightful travelogue of the region, describing the individual vineyards, estates and wineries. The detailed tasting notes are integral to understanding what's so important about sangiovese and how it's specifically grown and vinified in this area. It made me salivate and rush out to try several of the bottlings."

Santa Barbara News-Press - Dennis Schaefer

"A well-researched history book that reads like a novel."

Society of Wine Educators - Harriet Lembeck

Profoundly informative, this book speaks to anyone with a taste for Chianti Classico, or anyone who is fascinated by the layered history of Tuscany and how it relates to wine. . . . Makes a compelling argument for why Chianti Classico’s relationship to Tuscany is perhaps more profound and complex than any other denomination wine in Italy. . . . A comeback story worthy of Cosimo III’s groundbreaking intuition.

The Wine Advocate - Monica Larner

An important new book on Chianti Classico: Winners of the André Simon 2013 award for their book The World of Sicilian Wine, Nesto and Di Savino have produced the investigative, scholarly and detailed book that Chianti Classico has long deserved. Nesto and Di Savino are brilliant historic investigators. . . . A must-read for anyone seriously interested in wine.”

JancisRobinson.com - Walter Speller