Chianti Region Debuts New Way to Classify Wine

In one of the world’s oldest, and most revered, winemaking regions it is hard to reinvent the wheel, however the forward-thinking wine producers in Chianti Classico are trying to do so. For years they have been tossing around the idea of redistricting the Classico region in order to provide consumers with more information about its many subzones.

The Classico region was originally divided into eight microregions, but as of June of last year the producers of gran selezione wine—the region’s top product—have to been lobbying to divide the area in into 11 subzones or Unitá Geografiche Aggiuntive (UGA), which translates to additional geographic units.

The new wines come with a handful of restrictions. They will have to be at least 90 percent Sangiovese and will have to be aged for 30 months prior to release. Another stipulation is that no international wine varieties will be able to added to the wines, only indigenous grapes.

“We have tried everything here and now it is time to concentrate on Sangiovese and local varietals,” shares Giovanni Manetti, the president of Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico and the owner of Fontodi. This is an interesting move for a region that long capitalized on “Super Tuscans,” or wines made with large proportions of international red grapes like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The UGAs still need to approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and will be hopefully sometime this year. The hope is that other regions within Tuscany will also follow suit. The UGAs currently are Greve, Lamole, Panzano, Radda, Gaiole, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Vagliagli, Castellina, San Donato in Poggio, San Casciano, and Montefioralle. The area’s producers are open to adding additional sub zones.

“I think the US trade professionals are almost as eager as we are for the introduction of the new UGAs, given than the variety and complexity of our territory in which relies also its richness,” shares Manetti.

The Vision Behind It

In a recent visit to the region, I was able to see the different regions first hand and talk to a number of producers about what this means for Chianti Classico. Sebastiano Capponi, an owner of the Greve-based Villa Calcinaia Winery, called the UGAs “a game changer.”

He goes on to add that the 11 subregions outline the differences between the areas. They will also help forge community among wine producers. He adds that that previous approach was that each estate presented and promoted its own wines, but now they will be able to work together. He bets that there will be close to 20 in the future, but not more. “Writing the village name on the label will satisfy consumers’ desires to know more about the wines,” notes Manetti.

Manetti and other producers also hope that a deeper dive into regional differences will allow them to charge more for the wines. Producers in Tuscany, and across Europe, have been struggling with increased costs of production and a weak Euro for some time.

What is Old is New

Many producers noted that these regions have long existed and evolved as distinct growing. “The UGAs have existed since wine has been produced in Chianti,” notes Roberto Bianchi of the Radda-based Val delle Corti. He adds that all the small wine producers are making wines that are true to their terroir.

Manetti adds that the area’s products have been lobbying to create the UGAs since the 1980s. He adds that their creation is “like a dream come true.”

While these classifications may eventually be applied to the less-prestigious appellations of Chianti, at least for now, according to Manetti, the UGAs will reduce potential consumer confusion about the areas of Chianti versus Chianti Classico.