The history in the region is ancient with viticultural history going back to the Etruscans. Wine culture grew through the Roman Empire with monks eventually becoming the custodians of viticultural knowledge.

As the House of Medici rose in the 12th century in Florence, they controlled banking and commerce, and they were patrons of the arts for over two centuries with another branch of the family gaining political power and maintaining the Medici Dynasty.

Cosimo the Third was the Grand Duke in 1716, and he declared an edict limiting the zones and rules of production with sanctions for those who produced or trafficked in fraudulent wines. The modern history begins in 1927, when the Consorzio Vino Chianti was established, eventually leading to DOC status in 1967, and DOCG which is the highest-quality level in 1984.

Those straw covered round bottom bottles at the local pizzeria were many Americans’ first taste of Chianti, and like the cigarettes that were advertised during the same time frame, the wines “have come a long way, Baby.” In fact, the basketed bottles called fiascos are rarely seen nowadays.

But what about all of the other words sometimes seen on bottles of Chianti, what do they mean?

Each is there to tell consumers extra information about where the grapes came from and how they were treated along the way. The Chianti DOCG houses seven Chianti subregions within, those names are often seen on labels, as well as the Superiore and Riserva designations that tell consumers information about how the wine was made.

Classico—The addition of this word lets a consumer know that the grapes for this wine were grown in the historic heart of Chianti, making it the most important designation. Chianti Classico wines are the most iconic representation of Sangiovese. The wines from the Classico region have a proven history of ageability due to the naturally high acid and tannic structure.

The greater Chianti designation came later and included more of the surrounding area. Gran Selezione is the newest labeling addition that can be added only to Chianti Classico, this signifies the wine was made with 100 percent estate fruit that was aged for at least 30 months in oak barrel and passed an Italian tasting panel confirming a particularly special vintage. Within this Classico designation, there are many great producers to explore.

Colli Aretini—The sunny highlands of eastern Tuscany is where this historic subregion lies. It was one of the original areas delineated by Cosmo III de’ Medici. The area also overlaps other subregions, including Brunello di Montalcino which creates labeling options for some winemakers within these lines. Recommended producer: Mannucci Droandi.

Colli Fiorentini—The hillside vineyards to the south of Florence are the source for this designation. The wines are light and fruity and meant to be consumed young, many stay in Florence on the wine lists of the local trattorias. Recommended producer: La Querce La Torretta.

Colline Pisane—This area is located in the hills near Pisa, home of the leaning tower of Pisa. The vineyard area is closer to the coast giving the area a milder climate creating softer more sheerly colored wines. Recommended producer: Badia di Morrona.

Colli Senesi—A larger region which is known for fruit forward wines with less use of new oak. Recommended producer: Pietraserena Poggio al Vento.

Montalbano—The wines with this notation are sourced from the Montalbano sandstone hills north of Florence which creates a lighter, fruit driven style that is meant to be consumed young. Recommended producer: Pierazzuoli Cantagallo.

Montespertoli—Originally part of the Fiorentini region, it gained its own DOCG designation in 1997, due to the unique qualities of the wines, which ages for three months longer than typical. Recommended producer: Tenuta di Morzano.

Rufina—Note this is one “F” and ends in an “A,” it is not the Ruffino brand with a double F ending in O. Rufina with one “F” and ending in an “A” is the smallest of the subregions. The breezes from the Apennine Mountains cool down the vineyards creating structured wines requiring a longer aging time. Recommended producer: Fattoria Selvapiana. Riserva is a term for aged wines. In Chianti, it means the wines have aged a minimum of two years in barrel and three months in bottle before being sold. This extra aging time enhances the savorier notes in the wines.

Superiore is an aging term that means the wine was aged for a minimum of nine months of which at least three were in bottle. This term can be used by winemakers throughout the Chianti subregions, with the exception of Classico which are already aged for a slightly longer ten-month minimum. Recommended producer: Castello Trebbio

When next visiting the local wine shop or perusing an Italian wine list, think about taking a taste of a more specific, but perhaps lesser-known, area in Chianti, a new favorite is waiting to be discovered.