The Chianti area in Tuscany is one of the most beautiful in the whole region, as well as the most well-known and appreciated by visitors from across the world.
The borders of the Chianti region are not clearly defined but in general, it extends over the provinces of Florence and Siena, covering all of the areas between the two cities and extending to the east toward the Valdarno and to the west to the Val d'Elsa. The Chianti wine area extends further beyond the two cities, all around Florence and even toward Arezzo, Pistoia, and Montepulciano.
You'll often find references to the "Florentine Chianti" and the "Sienese Chianti" to define the areas closest to one or the other city, but these often refer to a wine's origin within the Chianti region.
Chianti offers a unique landscape, with green, gentle hills covered with wide fields of vineyards and olive groves, small stone villages, characteristic parishes and countryside homes in stone.
The Chianti landscapes are so beautiful and particular that they inspire many photographs which then become postcards and calendars distributed across the globe.
In addition to splendid landscapes, Chianti's popularity is also directly tied to its fine red wines produced in the region and known generally as Chianti wine. The Chianti region, extending roughly over the two main city provinces of Florence and Siena, is characterized by a combination of almost perfect weather and soil that produces a precious wine considered one of the best wines around the world.
The tradition of cultivating vines in Chianti goes back a long time in history, back to the Etruscans that inhabited the area before the Roman empire. Thanks to written evidence dating back to these times it is now known that the Etruscans not only cultivated vines and conducted experiments on grafting and creating hybrids but also produced wines that were widely appreciated. Many will recognize the straw-covered bottles as being a classic symbol for the Chianti wines, but these bottles are hardly ever used unless perhaps the producer is making a vintage style.