Chianti Classico Gallo Nero – History and Oddities

Tuscany is the home to one of the most noble Italian wines: Chianti.

Located within the historical provinces of Florence and Siena, the territory of Chianti, in addition to its land history also ties its name to the famous wine whose production dates back to Etruscan times and in 1600 was exported to countries such as England, who considered Chianti an item of high quality and value.

The borders of the territory of Chianti Classico correspond more or less to the decree issued by the Granduca of Tuscany issued in 1716, marking the first time in wine making history that a legal document outlined the geographical area of production, 200 years prior to any other world-wide wine making initiatives.

Only within this exclusive geographical area measuring 70,000 hectares can Chianti Classico be produced. And it is this wine that has characterized the landscape and the economy of the area. The territory boasts 800 producing farms united under a consortium maintaining the tradition of the “Lega del Chianti” having adopted the symbol of the Gallo Nero or black rooster, known the world over.

Produced primarily by Sangiovese grapes, the production of Chianti is governedby a series of intense regulations which go well beyond the simple composition of the grapes. The recent updating and strict applications of these rules are considered by the winemakers themselves the key to such worldwide success of such a quality wine.

With the creation of the "Consorzio per la difesa del vino tipico del Chianti,” the Chianti wine consortium founded in1924, Chianti began to be the wine we know today. This Consortium began to regulate the production of Chianti wine, creating a name one could be proud of, adopting the symbol of the black rooster or Gallo Nero that can be found on original doc bottles even today.

The label of “Chianti Classico”, symbolized in the Gallo Nero, appears only on wines made in the historical areas of Chianti, which includes the Estate of Monaciano.