Chianti - Not Just the Wine in the Straw Bottle
Jake Ellerbrock '02
Issue date: 10/5/00 Section: Diversions
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The Wine Club held its first wine tasting of the semester the evening of Friday, September 22. Nearly 40 people turned out to taste eight different wines from this famous Italian region. Local wine merchant and wine guru David Sparrow led the tasting. We learned about the Chianti region, what a Chianti is supposed to taste like, and that contrary to popular belief, most Chiantis don't come in straw-covered bottles. We also learned how to tell if a bottle of wine is corked, or spoiled. Here are some things that I picked up.
Chianti is a sub region of Tuscany, which is near Florence and Siena. Chianti Classico and Chianti Rufina are then sub regions of Chianti. Chianti Classico is generally thought to produce the best wines, although both regions showed well in our tasting.
The backbone of Chianti wines is the Sangiovese (San-Gee-O-Vay-Zay) grape. As a result, these wines tend to be medium-bodied, dry, and acidic (good food wines as the Italians would say) with pepper, earth and dark berry flavors. Most Chiantis also benefit from oak aging.
Five of the eight Chiantis we tasted were from the 1997 vintage, which many say is the best vintage since the 1940s. The other three wines were from the 1995 vintage, also a good year. The cost of the tasting was $15 for members, a bargain when you consider the total value of the wines tasted was $156.
At the end of the tasting, we all voted for our favorites. Your fellow classmates chose Fonterutoli Chianti Classico 1997 ($23) as the clear winner. This wine was also my top pick. I found the Fonterutoli to be a bit more full-bodied than the other wines with beautiful chocolate and coffee flavors. Others described this wine as woody with tones of blackberry and anise.
A Chianti Rufina took the honor of being the best bargain wine. Not only did the "Il Greppo" Chianti Rufina 1997 ($9) take second place, but it was also the least expensive wine featured in the tasting. This wine was light in body, and dry with good fruit. A great wine for dinner any night of the week!
These wines and many more are available at Sparrow's Wine Shop (511 North Meadow Street, 256-7145).
The Wine Club is in the processes of planning its next tasting, so stay tuned for details. If you would like to be involved, please contact me (jre23) or Stacy Schulist (sas75).
Chianti is a sub region of Tuscany, which is near Florence and Siena. Chianti Classico and Chianti Rufina are then sub regions of Chianti. Chianti Classico is generally thought to produce the best wines, although both regions showed well in our tasting.
The backbone of Chianti wines is the Sangiovese (San-Gee-O-Vay-Zay) grape. As a result, these wines tend to be medium-bodied, dry, and acidic (good food wines as the Italians would say) with pepper, earth and dark berry flavors. Most Chiantis also benefit from oak aging.
Five of the eight Chiantis we tasted were from the 1997 vintage, which many say is the best vintage since the 1940s. The other three wines were from the 1995 vintage, also a good year. The cost of the tasting was $15 for members, a bargain when you consider the total value of the wines tasted was $156.
At the end of the tasting, we all voted for our favorites. Your fellow classmates chose Fonterutoli Chianti Classico 1997 ($23) as the clear winner. This wine was also my top pick. I found the Fonterutoli to be a bit more full-bodied than the other wines with beautiful chocolate and coffee flavors. Others described this wine as woody with tones of blackberry and anise.
A Chianti Rufina took the honor of being the best bargain wine. Not only did the "Il Greppo" Chianti Rufina 1997 ($9) take second place, but it was also the least expensive wine featured in the tasting. This wine was light in body, and dry with good fruit. A great wine for dinner any night of the week!
These wines and many more are available at Sparrow's Wine Shop (511 North Meadow Street, 256-7145).
The Wine Club is in the processes of planning its next tasting, so stay tuned for details. If you would like to be involved, please contact me (jre23) or Stacy Schulist (sas75).