THE COUNCIL OF ITALIAN MINISTERS RECONFIRMS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CHIANTI AND CHIANTI CLASSICO WINES AND BANS THE PRODUCTION OF CHIANTI IN CHIANTI CLASSICO TERRITORY AND VICE VERSA. A NEEDED FORMALIZATION OF AN ACT THAT HAS BEEN ON THE BOOKS SINCE 1996

Italy’s Council of Ministers has made a much better definition of the difference between Chianti and Chianti Classico wine production, which have actually been two autonomous and separate disciplines since 1996, with the newly approved Community law 2008 (article 10). The announcement was made by Agriculture Minister, Paolo De Castro, who explained the modifications that were being made to law 164/92 (article 5) in order to clarify that in the areas reserved for Chianti Classico wine, producers “can neither plant nor become part of the Chianti DOCG consortium”.

“We want to defend the specifics of the denominations of origin, which are an integral part of the politics of competition for our quality food and agriculture sector” – noted Minister De Castro – “and with this norm we intend to clarify and more precisely define the boundaries between the production methods of different vocations”.

In 1996, Chianti Classico obtained the definitive consecration of its importance and primogeniture: with the Ministerial Decree on August 5th, DOCG Chianti Classico became recognized as an autonomous denomination, sanctioning once and for all its difference and independence from other Chianti wines.