Wine vacation in Chianti

A wine vacation in Chianti – why not? Well, if you’re an oenophile, wine will very likely be one of many enjoyable aspects of your vacation in Tuscany, especially Chianti. While the art cities of Florence, Sienna, Lucca and Pisa will demand concentrated attention, be sure to take some time off and explore the Tuscan countryside, including the vineyards of Chianti, Montalcino and Montepulciano.

In all three of these wine districts, the dominating grape is sangiovese – not named after a saint called “San Giovese” as some might think, but meaning “blood of Jupiter” or “blood of Jove”, because of its characteristic colour. Most Chianti Classico wines are 100% sangiovese while the remainder are blends containing 10 to 30% cabernet sauvignon or merlot, usually, but also cabernet franc and other introduced grape varietals. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino are also both made from sangiovese grapes, albeit from a strain differing from that used in Chianti.

Tuscan wines are predominantly red with just a small amount of Vernaccia di San Gimignano accounting for most of the white wine. HOWEVER, over the past few years, an excellent rosé, known as a rosato, has made its appearance in Tuscany. These rosati are made from sangiovese grapes and retain the characteristic flavour of that grape but are light and refreshing – an ideal summer lunch wine.

More about Tuscan rosato wine.

The best way to enjoy and appreciate a Chianti Classico wine is with a meal. They go well with all courses, the lighter wines usually matching pasta course and the more full bodies Chianti going well with the main course, especially bistecca alla fiorentina (Florentine grilled steak).

Our recommendations on how to enjoy a wine vacation in Chianti are as follows:

• Select a single, fairly central base for the wine zones you wish to explore, and stick to that base. A lot of your precious vacation time can be lost moving from one accommodation to another.
• Book your accommodation well in advance. DO NOT try to “wing it”, looking for a place to stay during your vacation. The latter another way to lose a lot of time.
• Consider staying on a working winery – at an agriturismo, in other words. This will definitely give you a deeper insight in to the genesis of the wines you are trying.
• You might find that hiring a minibus or car with a driver, while appearing at first sight to be more expensive than simply renting a car, can ultimately save much time and hence money. In addition, you won’t have to worry about the effects of imbibing on your driving skills. (“Taste and spit” is the alternative.) A good wine tour driver will be able to suggest routes that you might not have thought of and will have access to places not usually open to the public.

More about “Chianti Classico wines.

More about accommodation options in central Chianti.

More about wine tours in Chianti.