Anyone for some Chianti?

A fantastic introduction to Tuscany is a Chianti Wine Tour. There are many tour groups that offer tours of the Chianti region. Some tour groups are private - and range in price in between 200 to 250 Euros per person. I honestly didn't want to (a)spend $350 a person on a wine tour and (b) spend an entire day listening to a spiel about wine - there's only so much you canhear about wine in one day.

I chose the Cor Magis travel group because they would (a) pick us up/drop us off at the hotel and (b) it was 60 Euros per person for the tour. You reserve a tour and find other tours in Tuscany on their web site. http://www.cormagistravel.it/

The tour guide, Alberto, picked us up in a mini-van and gave us background on the region and the workings of the Chianti industry. For years, this wine could be found in a round bottle in a straw basket (and wasn't particularly known for its high quality). Over the years, the wine has improved and now rivals the rest of the good red wines you would find in a quality wine shop.

It turns out that making Chianti is serious business to the Italians. Wine named "Chianti Classico" can only be made in the Chianti region of Italy and must follow certain legal regulations. First and foremost, the wine must be made from about 70% sangiovese grapes. The rest of the wine is a blend from a local white (believe it or not) and another type of red. Chianti Classico Reserve represents the best Chianti out of several years. It's at the discretion of the wine maker if they choose to release a reserve that year.

Another interesting fact about Chianti is that you should always look for the thin pink label around the neck of the bottle. The ribbon is a certification that the wine is Chianti. Alberto explained that if the bottle says Chianti but doesn't have the pink label, it's not truly Chianti.

During the tour we visited 3 local villages (Radda, Castellina, Montalcino)and 2 wineries. The first winery I could have done without. The second, however, was a must-see.

Paggio Amorelli is a charming winery outside Catellina. Marco Mazzarrini was the wine maker and our host at this winery. Their friendly dog welcomed each visitor, one by one, hopeful for some affection in return. After about 2 seconds of talking with Marco, I could tell that wine-making is his passion. He explained that every day he checks the temperature of the wine as it ferments, sometimes every 5 hours each day. He also explained how to determine if a bottle of red wine is good or bad based upon things like color and clarity.

From there the wine tasting began. With prosciutto, parmesan, and home made bread as a snack, we tasted about 5 wines. Half way through, Marco also shared sliced tomatoes covered in olive oil. He said they were from his father in law's yard; the fresh ripe taste of the tomatoes tasted home grown.

The wine was good, to say the least and a selling point is that the shipping costs are included when you buy a bottle of wine. The Super Tuscan (certainly not a Chianti but a fantastic wine) is 45 Euros including shipping anywhere in the world, with a 6 bottle minimum.

The tour of the countryside and the wineries was a great way to spend a leisurely fall day in Tuscany.