#ChiantiClass12: A Trip to Chianti Classico

It is with great excitement that I can announce a new media trip, close on my Vinopanion horizon, to the venerable and very historic Tuscan wine region of Chianti Classico DOCG (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, WineLog).  I will start my trip to Florence, Italy to rendevous with the traveling #ChiantiClass12 group this Thursday, May 24, 2012, with the official start of the trip on Friday the 25th.  Much like my previous adventures across the pond, I will be posting a lot of microblog content in real-time, including Twitter (#ChiantiClass12), Flickr, and through my Facebook profile & on Vinopanion‘s.  Learn more about this fascinating wine region after the break, cin cin!

[winebadge id=”32872″]

The modern region of Chianti Classico was granted the highest Italian rating for quality and authenticity, Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG), since the middle of the 1980’s.  It is a separate and higher bar for wine quality than the greater surrounding area, and more widely known region of Chianti.  The smaller Chianti Classico DOCG is made up of the original four villages that first made fine wine in the area Castellina in Chianti,  Gaiole in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, and Greve in Chianti, as well as portions of a few other villages in the immediate area.  It totals about 100 square miles..  The grape variety makeup and production of Chianti Classico is highly regulated.  Sangiovese must make up the majority of the blend (only red wines can be labeled Chianti Classico).  Producers are allowed to blend in, at up to 20%, any of the other approved red varieties: Canaiolo, Colorino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and/or Syrah.

I am attending this week-long media trip courtesy of the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, as organized by Balzac Communications.  We have a very full itinerary, with multiple producers, historic events, and of course, phenomenal meals planned for each of our 5 days of touring, tasting, and eating.  One of the main reasons for hopping over there this particular week is the annual “Chianti Classico Is“ festival, when the entire region shows off its culinary, vinous, historic, artistic, and natural, beauty.  It is 10 days of fascinating Chianti cultural celebration and our participation in the “Black Rooster fete” is sure be a highlight for the entire trip, particularly the street food event, “The Black Rooster & Street Food.”

All of the members of the group are listed below, followed by a list of Chianti Classico wines that are here at WineLog. Follow along as we take on Chianti Classico for #ChiantiClass12!

The intrepid troupe of #ChiantiClass12:

Leader Catherine Seda (Twitter, Facebook)

VinTuba: Chris Oggenfuss (Twitter, Facebook)

Santé Magazine: Doug Paulding (Facebook)

LuxuryWeb Magazine: Manos Angelakis

The Passionate Foodie: Richard Auffrey (Twitter, Facebook)

Vinopanion – WineLog.net (me!): Ward Kadel (Twitter, Facebook, WineLog)

Wines from Chianti Classico, Italy on WineLog:

[winelist query=”Chianti+Classico&within=wines&submit=GO” num=”50″]