Learn About Chianti: Grapes, Wine, Region, and Pairings

Chianti is an Italian export as famous as pasta and espresso. For many years, Chianti was known as a sub-par wine, thanks to overproduction and dilution. Traditionally, Chianti bottles were surrounded by a straw basket known as a ‘fiasco’—an ironic, if appropriate name that came to represent its reputation. But in recent years, local producers have ditched the fiasco straw baskets in favor of traditional bottles and are producing Chianti wine of notably higher quality.