Three Things You Must Know About Chianti: Part 3
Alright we told you what Chianti is, we told you the one easy rule for buying good Chianti and now we’re gonna take your Chianti-drinking to the max enjoyment level.
Chianti Fact #3
If you want to really love Chianti…you must drink Chianti with food.
And when I say food, I mean pizza. (Is there any other food, really?)
Okay, fine, it does not have to be pizza, but whatever dish you decide on must contain red sauce or at least some tomato-heartiness leading the way. Eg, eggplant parmesan, Bucatini all'Amatriciana, wild boar lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, Timballo di Maccheroni—you get the idea.
Alright, friends. For true educational purposes, I’m giving you this homework assignment:
Buy a Chianti Classico. Order a pizza for dinner (or make one if you’re that kind of person). Try the Chianti without the food first. Now try the Chianti with the pizza. Does the pizza make the wine taste better? And vice versa?
If you find the Chianti is still too tight, get a decanter out (or just a big mason jar), toss the wine in there and then repeat with the decanted wine.
Let us know how it goes! Shoot me an email or comment below and let us know if it blew your mind, re-opened your mind to Chianti or just made you happy. For real. We love hearing from you!
P.S. Are you a member of Sunday School Wine Society? We have so much more Chianti fun stuff for you! Eg, the story of the black rooster, downloadable handouts and more deets on labels (and exceptions to the rule), specific producer recommendations especially if you do want to splurge into the world of riservas and gran seleziones. Anyhoo, go here for all the Chianti knowledge.
Why would a producer want to leave the Chianti DOCG, declassify their wines, and label them as IGT Toscana instead, foregoing the word “Chianti” altogether?