Life is too short not to drink Chianti Classico
Often when we think of Tuscany and its traditions, the excellent bottles of Chianti Classico come to our mind, symbolized by the Black Rooster.
Why does this wine have a black rooster as a symbol and what does Chianti Classico really mean? Find out with us!
The black rooster is the symbol of an ancient legend
Above the neck of the bottle you will find a small black rooster indicating the Chianti Classico Consortium. Why was a rooster chosen as a symbol of wine and not a bunch of grapes or a vine leaf?
The legend goes back in time.
In the Middle Ages the cities of Siena and Florence have always been in competition for the territory and there were many wars. The territory between the two cities is carattarezied by hills and sunny valleys perfect for the wine cultivation and therefore disputes between the two cities.
At a certain point, tired of all these fights, the Florentines and the Sienese decided to draw the border between the two cities in an original way: two knights would wake up to the crowing of the cock in their own city and the place where they would meet would decide the border much disputed.
Black Rooster or White Rooster?
In Siena they decided to entrust the knight’s alarm clock to a white rooster while in Florence they opted for a black rooster.
In Florence they decided to deprive the rooster of food in order to make him wake up early in the morning, hungry and screaming, while in Siena they decided to pamper the rooster with delicious food in order to make him sleep well and wake up early in the morning full of energy.
The definition of Chianti border
The Florentine knight woke up long before the Sienese one and left the city walls well in advance, consequently the Florentine territory is much larger than the Sienese one.
In any case, anyone who owns a pet knows that if they are not fed properly in the morning they will wake you up early!
The definition of Chianti thanks to Cosimo III De’Medici
In Florence they decided to pay homage to the black rooster who had made them winners by transforming him into the symbol of the new Florentine municipalities.
An even more precise definition was given by an exponent of the Medicifamily, Cosimo III De’Medici.
In 1716 Cosimo III wrote an edict defining exactly the geographical and wine production areas in Tuscany, areas still respected today.
- Chianti
- Pomino
- Valdarno di Sopra
- Carmignano
For the Chianti area Cosimo indicated the territory that today corresponds to the municipalities of Greve in Chianti, Radda, Castellina and Gaiole.
What is Chianti Classico?
To produce a Chianti Classico and therefore have the opportunity to place the famous black rooster on your bottle, it is not enough to have a vineyard in the area indicated by the Edict of Cosimo III.
Chianti Classico wine follows very stringent quality regulations and is a source of pride for an entire region.
Today the Chianti area is slightly larger than that defined once but follows the same productive traditions of centuries ago.
We are waiting for you to drink the best Tuscan wine together
When you sip a glass of Chianti Classico you are not only drinking a wine from one of the most beautiful and disputed areas in the world but you are drinking a piece of history!
The best way to sip it is to be right in Tuscany and we are waiting for you at Villa Campestri to make you live this experience!
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