Wine Standards

What is Chianti?
There are seven sub zones within Tuscany that can call their wine Chianti all within the Tuscan provinces of Arezzo, Firenze (Florence), Pistoia, and Siena. This area encompasses 1.2 million acres, much of it made up of schistose clay with mixtures of flint, limestone, pebbles, and sand. The Chainti Classico subzone is located south of Florence and north of Siena, covering 173,000 acres.

What is Sangiovese?
Sangiovese is the prominent grape of many Tuscan wines, including Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Carmignano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and other barrel-aged wines. The Tuscan winemaking style calls for Sangiovese to be blended with other varieties, but it is the Sangiovese that gives the character, perfume, and structure to the wines.

What is DOCG?
Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) stands for a "controlled and guaranteed appellation of origin." This designation controls the quality of the wine under established government standards that define the region, grape varieties, per-acre yields, aging requirements, and other factors.

Castello di Gabbiano makes three types of Chianti, one of which Riserva, is estate grown and bottled. The other two are Chianti Classico and Chainti DOCG.  All of the Gabbiano Chianti are classified as DOCG, the highest quality standard the Italian government awards to wines from recognized winegrowing zones.

What does all this mean? Castello di Gabbiano Chianti are some of the highest-quality wines of the region. Whether a Chianti, Classico, or Riserva you'll taste the true spirit and flavors of Tuscany in every glass of Castello di Gabbiano wines.