Drink Chianti (with some Italian food) before you die!
Why? It’s the perfect accompaniment to pizza and pasta (...and possibly liver and fava beans!).
Ten Second Summary
- What it is: A dry red wine from Tuscany, usually based on Sangiovese, Italy’s great red grape and — depending on who you ask — the king of Italian grapes.
- Tastes like: Bitter cherries, violets, tomatoey savouriness, dried herbs, bright acidity, and a tea-like, gently tannic finish.
- Buying shortcut: Look for Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva, or Gran Selezione from a top producer — or go straight to the six best Chianti producers ↓
- Best with: Pizza, pasta with tomato sauce, lasagne, ragù, grilled meats, roast vegetables, and anything involving tomatoes, olive oil, herbs, and appetite.
- When to drink: Basic Chianti is best young and lively. Serious Chianti Classico Riserva and Gran Selezione can age beautifully, often gaining savoury, leathery, earthy complexity.
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| Chianti vineyards at sunset in Gaiole in Chianti, Tuscany — the historic home of Sangiovese. Photo © stefanotermanini / Adobe Stock. |
What’s on this page
1. Why Chianti is bucket list worthy
Chianti is made from the Sangiovese grape. The name Sangiovese is derived, the story goes, from sanguis Jovis, meaning “Jupiter’s blood.” Jupiter was the supreme deity of the Romans, wielder of thunderbolts and king of the gods.
In Italy, Sangiovese is king of the grapes, although I’m sure plenty of Piedmontese would argue Nebbiolo is the king of grapes (...and the grape of kings!). But Sangiovese is the most important, with more hectares under vine than any other variety by quite some way. Even the ubiquitous Glera — née Prosecco — is a long way behind in plantings than il re Sangiovese.
And when Sangiovese is grown in the right place, with the right food on the table, it can be one of the most useful, enjoyable, life-enhancing red wines on the planet. Not necessarily the grandest. Not necessarily the most expensive. But one of the wines most capable of turning a basic meal into something rather more civilised.
A good Chianti does not sit there demanding reverence. It asks for food, conversation, and another forkful of pasta. That is precisely why it belongs on a proper wine bucket list.
2. What Chianti is
Although grown all over Italy, Sangiovese thrives in Tuscany’s rolling hills, and in particular the region of Chianti, nestled between Florence and Siena.
Chianti is one of the world’s oldest legally demarcated wine areas, officially defined in 1716 by Grand Duke Cosimo III de’ Medici. Tokaji and Port are also top contenders for this claim, because wine regions, like old European families, do enjoy arguing about who got there first.
At its simplest, Chianti is a Tuscan red wine made principally from Sangiovese. At its best, it is fragrant, savoury, bright, appetising, and wonderfully food friendly. It is not the inky, jammy, oak-smothered sort of red that clubs you over the head and steals your lunch money. Good Chianti has bite, lift, perfume, and a distinctly Italian sense of proportion.
Chianti Classico — the historic heartland of Chianti — must be made from at least 80% Sangiovese. Chianti Classico Riserva is aged longer, and Gran Selezione sits at the top of the current Chianti Classico quality pyramid, with stricter rules again.
3. What Chianti tastes like
A classic Chianti tastes of bitter cherries and violets, with a certain tomatoey savouriness, a definite rasp of herbs, and a tea-like finish.
The first written account of Sangiovese is from a Tuscan book on viticulture written in 1600 and describes the variety as bitter, juicy, and vinous. That still feels pretty spot on. The acidity is typically up there and the tannins can be too, which — combined with this appetising bitter edge — help make Sangiovese, and thus Chianti, a great food wine.
This is one of the reasons Chianti can be so satisfying. It is not trying to be plush, sweet, and seamless. It has edges. It has grip. It has a savoury twist. It tastes like something that belongs beside food rather than something designed to impress a tasting panel in a hotel conference room.
Better examples can develop lovely bottle-age notes: dried cherry, tobacco, leather, balsamic, earth, old wood, dried herbs, and that indefinable savoury Italian thing that makes you suddenly want to cook something with garlic.
4. Chianti food pairing
Chianti is one of those wines that can really make a meal. A basic pizza or bowl of pasta can be taken to the next level when consumed in the company of Chianti.
The great thing about Chianti food pairing is that you do not need to overthink it. Tomato sauce, olive oil, garlic, herbs, meat, mushrooms, roasted vegetables, hard cheese, cured meats — Chianti understands all of this. It has the acidity to cope with tomatoes, the tannin to handle fat, and the savoury edge to make simple food taste more complete.
At the beginning of the James Bond novel Thunderball, when Bond leaves a two-week stint at a health spa, he describes himself having “a passionate longing for a large dish of Spaghetti Bolognese containing plenty of chopped garlic and accompanied by a whole bottle of the cheapest, rawest Chianti.”
However, anyone who has seen The Silence of the Lambs will know that Hannibal Lecter, of course, prefers his Chianti with liver and fava beans.
Happily, there are less troubling options. Try Chianti with spaghetti Bolognese, lasagne, pizza Margherita, pizza with salami, meatballs, mushroom pasta, bistecca alla Fiorentina, roast pork, chicken cacciatore, tomato bruschetta, or a simple plate of salami and pecorino. This is where Chianti shines: not in splendid isolation, but at the table.
5. Chianti, Chianti Classico and the subzones
Before getting to the best Chianti producers, it’s probably worth mentioning a couple of points.
First, you’ll see that two of the wineries below have fattoria in their name. To me, this sounds a bit like factory and conjures images of a big wine factory pumping out characterless Chianti. However, fattoria is simply Italian for “farm.” Much nicer. Much less conveyor belt.
Second, there’s more than one type of Chianti. Chianti Classico is the historic heartland of Chianti and has its own subzones. So, on a label you may see Chianti Classico something. This usually means it’s from a specific area within the Chianti Classico zone.
Chianti surrounds the Chianti Classico area, and there are seven Chianti subzones. Wines with another word after their name, such as Rùfina, come from a specific zone within the broader Chianti region.
In practical buying terms, this means the words on the label matter. Chianti DOCG can be delicious and excellent value. Chianti Classico usually suggests a wine from the historic central zone. Riserva generally means extra ageing. Gran Selezione is the top Chianti Classico category and, at its best, can be very serious wine indeed.
For clear information about Chianti, Chianti Classico and all the subzones, this page on the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) website has some good info.
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| Felsina: one of the best Chianti producers. A line up of their range ready to be tasted. |
6. Six best Chianti producers
The list below is by no means exhaustive, but all make exemplary Chianti. Click on one of the producers below to find a Bucket List worthy Chianti near you.
This is not meant to be a definitive ranking of every bottle in Tuscany. That way madness lies. Instead, these are six producers that tell the Chianti story particularly well: history, place, Sangiovese, food, and proper drinking pleasure.
1) Castello di Monsanto
Castello di Monsanto’s Il Poggio was the first officially designated single-vineyard “cru” in Chianti Classico, released in 1962. Structured, age-worthy, and beautifully traditional, Il Poggio remains a benchmark for serious Chianti.
This is the sort of bottle to try if you want to understand how Chianti can move beyond simple pizza wine and into the realm of properly age-worthy, site-expressive fine wine.
2) Mazzei
Established in 1435, the Mazzei family has made wine here for nearly six centuries. Their Castello di Fonterutoli Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, produced since 1995, is their flagship wine, selected from the choicest parcels on their estate. It combines centuries of heritage with modern precision.
If you like your wine with a proper historical backstory — and frankly, why wouldn’t you? — Mazzei is a name worth remembering. Few producers can make Chianti feel quite so anchored in time and place.
3) Barone Ricasoli
The Ricasoli family has strong links to Chianti. Documents show they already owned the estate of Brolio Castle in 1141. And it was visionary wine entrepreneur Baron Bettino Ricasoli (1809–1880) who, in 1872, originated the “formula” for Chianti wine.
Their top wine, Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG, remains one of the region’s great flag bearers — rich, structured, and steeped in history.
This is one of those producers where the wine, the castle, the family, and the region’s identity are all tangled together. In a good way. The sort of way that makes wine more than fermented grape juice with a price tag.
4) Fontodi
Fontodi has been owned by the Manetti family since 1968. Before getting into wine, the Manettis spent a couple of hundred years making the region’s famous terracotta tiles. The organically farmed estate is widely and highly regarded as a reliable benchmark for Chianti.
Based in Panzano’s famous Conca d’Oro, Fontodi makes wines with depth, polish, and unmistakable seriousness. This is Chianti for people who want Sangiovese with real concentration, but without losing that essential Tuscan savouriness.
5) Fattoria di Fèlsina
Fattoria di Fèlsina is a former ducal estate owned by the various Grand Dukes of Tuscany since the 1500s. The estate was reborn in 1966 under Domenico Poggiali and helped lead Chianti’s quality renaissance.
The winery has had a long run of Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri accolades and was awarded Gambero Rosso “Winery of the Year” in 2009. In 2023, their Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2020 came number 22 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100.
Fèlsina is a brilliant name to know because it delivers the magic combination: serious pedigree, proper Sangiovese character, and bottles you may actually be able to find without selling an organ.
6) Fattoria Selvapiana
Founded in 1827, Fattoria Selvapiana is regarded as one of Chianti’s benchmark producers. Their flagship wine, Bucerchiale Chianti Rùfina Riserva DOCG, is by many regarded as one of the greatest Chianti Rùfinas ever made and has made Wine Spectator’s Top 100 three times.
Rùfina can be a slightly cooler, more elegant expression of Chianti, and Selvapiana is one of the names that shows why it matters. This is not the loudest Chianti on the shelf, but it can be one of the most satisfying.
7. Best Chianti FAQ
Which is the best Chianti?
The best Chianti is usually Chianti Classico from a strong producer, especially if the label says Riserva or Gran Selezione. Castello di Monsanto, Mazzei, Barone Ricasoli, Fontodi, Fattoria di Fèlsina, and Fattoria Selvapiana are all excellent names to look for.
Is Chianti wine considered high quality?
Yes, Chianti can be very high quality. Basic Chianti can be simple, fresh, and good value, but the best Chianti Classico, Riserva, and Gran Selezione wines can be serious, age-worthy, complex red wines.
What is better, Chianti Classico or Riserva?
Chianti Classico tells you the wine comes from the historic heartland of Chianti. Riserva means the wine has been aged longer. So it is not quite either/or: a Chianti Classico Riserva from a good producer is usually a stronger buying signal than basic Chianti.
How do you tell a good Chianti?
To tell a good Chianti, look for a reputable producer, the words Chianti Classico, Riserva, or Gran Selezione, and a wine based on Sangiovese. In the glass, good Chianti should taste fresh, savoury, structured, and food friendly rather than sweet, jammy, or dull.
Is Sangiovese the same as Chianti?
No. Sangiovese is the grape. Chianti is the Tuscan wine region and wine style. Most Chianti is made mainly from Sangiovese, but not all Sangiovese wine is Chianti.
Can Chianti be 100% Sangiovese?
Yes. Chianti can be made entirely from Sangiovese, depending on the specific Chianti category and producer. Many of the best examples are either 100% Sangiovese or heavily Sangiovese-led.
What meal pairs well with Chianti?
The best Chianti food pairing is usually Italian food: pizza, pasta with tomato sauce, lasagne, ragù, meatballs, salami, pecorino, roast pork, mushrooms, or bistecca alla Fiorentina. Chianti’s acidity and tannin make it brilliant with tomato, olive oil, herbs, and fat.
Does Chianti pair with pasta?
Yes. Chianti is excellent with pasta, especially pasta with tomato-based sauces, ragù, meatballs, mushrooms, herbs, garlic, or hard Italian cheese. It is less ideal with very creamy or delicate seafood pasta.
What cheese pairs with Chianti?
Chianti pairs well with savoury, firm, and semi-firm cheeses such as pecorino, parmesan, aged cheddar, and Tuscan-style sheep’s milk cheeses. It also works beautifully with a simple charcuterie and cheese board.
How is Chianti best served?
Chianti is best served slightly cool rather than warm. Aim for around 15–18°C. A basic Chianti can be opened and poured, while a serious Chianti Classico Riserva or Gran Selezione may benefit from a short decant.
Do you put Chianti in the fridge?
You can put Chianti in the fridge for 20–30 minutes before serving, especially if the room is warm. Chianti should not be served fridge-cold, but a slight chill helps keep the wine fresh and lively.
How long does a bottle of Chianti last after opening?
An opened bottle of Chianti usually lasts two to four days if resealed and kept in the fridge. Fresher, simpler Chianti is best within a day or two, while more structured bottles may hold up a little longer.
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