SPOTLIGHT: At the First American Cocktail Parties, They Drank This

C.

Tuscany is the birthplace of four of Italy’s most historic red wines: Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, all of which are made from Sangiovese grapes. It might seem like Chianti Classico would be a subset of Chianti. But it isn’t. Today, the two regions are completely independent and distinctive. This means that you can’t make Chianti in Chianti Classico, and you can’t make Chianti Classico in Chianti. But both are, in fact, made in Tuscany, as is the great Tuscan red Brunello di Montalcino. Brunello, by law, must be aged four years before release—longer than almost any other Italian red. As for Barbaresco and Barolo, both are regions in Piedmont, not Tuscany. And Amarone is a famous wine in the Veneto region.