Of the Tuscan specialties that are well-known around the world, wine surely has a unique place. In actuality, the Chianti area is well-known for its grapes, which produce a distinctive wine with a vivid crimson color and distinct scent.
The vineyards of the Chianti area stretch from Pistoia to Siena, on the southern edge of the Tuscan Apennines. The earliest records of the “Chianti” date from the thirteenth century, and they speak of the “League of Chianti,” an organization that encompassed the three “terzieri,” or neighborhoods, of Radda in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti, and Gaiole. These boundaries made it easier for Florence to administer the region.
The Chianti region stretches northward from Mugello to Pontassieve and Rufina. Every year at the conclusion of the harvest, the “Carro matto” leaves Rufina. It is an ox-drawn cart that is loaded with about 3,000 flasks—or, as we may say, a complete cellar—that are arranged to create a triangle prism. It is a true town celebration that recalls the custom of the Arte di Vinattieri, which is still observed today, presenting new wine to the Florentine Signoria.
