The region transforms during the Chianti Classico e festival. Black roosters can be found everywhere! Take a peek right here! http://youtu.be/cboEUHQsQNc
With scenes from a previous year. Will you be in this year’s film footage? Next year’s?
The Chianti Classico Academy is the new cultural center in the heart of the Chianti Classico region. You will learn, glass by Chianti Classico glass, all about the region, its history and wines. There are numerous daily offerings with classes dedicated to beginners, enthusiasts as well as experts. Anyone can come deepen their knowledge about wine thanks to the Black Rooster’s Academy.
Staying in the region for a bit? Why not take your WSET wine certification courses in the heart of Chianti Classico? The Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) is an international partner of the Chianti Classico Academy.
The Chianti Classico Academy is located in the evocative setting of the Monastery of Santa Maria al Prato (XVIII century) in the village of Radda.
Now really, did learning ever look so good?
For more information, visit chianticlassico.com/academy.
1 4-lb. chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, cut into small dice
3/4 cup dry red wine
4 fresh sage leaves
2 3-inch sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 bay leaves, preferably fresh
1 28-oz. can whole plum tomatoes, finely chopped, juice reserved
Cut the chicken into 8 serving pieces: With a boning knife or chef’s knife, cut each leg off the chicken above the thigh bone. Then separate each leg into drumstick and thigh following the line of fat on the underside. With kitchen shears, cut out the back bone and discard. With a chef’s knife, cut through the breastbone so you have 2 breast halves with the wing attached. Cut across each breast to separate it into 2 pieces.
Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in an 11- to 12-inch straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Working in 2 batches, cook the chicken until golden-brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. (Reduce the heat to medium for the second batch if the brown bits sticking to pan get too dark.) Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the pan. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spatula, until the onion is tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine, raise the heat to medium high, and boil until the wine is reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Tie the herbs together in a bouquet garni and add to the pan along with the tomatoes and their juice. Return the chicken pieces to the pan, turn to coat them in the sauce, and gently simmer, uncovered, turning the chicken occasionally, until just cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.
Using tongs, transfer the chicken to plates or a serving platter. Remove the herbs and season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, and serve with polenta.
Thanks for the yummy recipe, Fine Cooking! See the recipe here.
We just finished our nationwide educational tour, making stops at Johnson & Wales University, Cal Poly Pomona, the Culinary Institute of America, and Napa Valley College.
Culinary students around the country are now experts in Chianti Classico, and we gained a few fans along the way!
The students at Johnson & Wales
Napa Valley College Students.
Cal Poly Pomona.
More photos to come!
Celebrity Chef Michael Chiarello recommends you serve Chianti Classico with this recipe of his!
Grilled Flank Steak Crostini with Mustard Greens
Bring the flank steak to room temperature.
Prepare an outdoor grill or preheat a stovetop grill pan.
Season both sides of the steak with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on 1 side of the meat and lightly rub it in.
Sprinkle half of the oregano on top and place the steak on the grill, herb side up.
Grill on 1 side for about 5 minutes or until the juices of the meat come to the surface of the steak. Turn the steak once and continue cooking for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until done to your taste. Let rest for a few minutes.
Meanwhile: In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil until hot. Add the garlic and sauté about 1 minute, or until light brown. Add the greens and toss occasionally.
After about 3 minutes, the greens will have cooked down. Season with a large pinch of salt and a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper. Cook another 3 minutes. Splash greens with 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and hot sauce, to taste, if using. Transfer the greens to a plate.
For the crostini: Brush both sides of the bread slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the slices on the grill or grill pan and cook until crispy, about 1 minute on each side.
Cut the flank steak across the grain in 1/4-inch slices. Place a slice of steak on top of each crostini, top each with the greens and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and hot sauce, as desired. Can be served warm or at room temperature.
See the recipe here.
Want oil olive to just stop your meat and vegetables from sticking to your cooking pan? Oil is just oil? Then Chianti Classico olive oil is not for you!
Tasting olive oil from Chianti Classico is an incredible experience, with different flavors coming from different kinds of olives. It is an art form in itself.
The crop and production of olive oil is tracked in Chianti Classico just as the wine is. For 2012, the region had lower than expected production of its olive oil, but its popularity is on a rise. People appear to be seeking out premium olive oils.
Starting this year, the Chianti Classico’s famed Black Rooster can now be used for its premium olive oil.
How is the 2012 harvest shaping up?
The 2012 harvest created no small anxiety among the olive oil producers of the zone. Drought conditions were felt quite early on compared to 2011, and during the entire summer it was feared that the olive crop would not be able to resist the scorching heat. Rain arrived in September, however, and allowed to olives to swell, ripen, and produce an olive oil with aromas and flavors which had not been felt for years.
Disaster averted!
Every year has its own peculiar characteristics, and every year we are shown the powerful resistance which this plant, the olive tree, regularly demonstrates, its capacity to confront and overcome the climatic difficulties which often create severe problems in trying growing seasons such as 2012.
Spring and summer, the period in which the olives begin to grow and condense their “green gold”, were characterized by torrid heat and a systematic lack of rainwater. Despite this, the crop managed to reach the end of August without falling from the trees, and it was necessary to await the September rains to see the beginning of the condensation of the oil in the fruit. The picking of the olive crop began during the last ten days of October, and this by now has become a standard date for the beginning of the harvest, which then went forward without particular problems until the last days of November.
The result of this odd weather pattern, however, is a crop of healthy olive oil — the 2012 Chianti Classico DOP olive oils have a high level of anti-oxidants (polyphenols) and vitamins never previously seen.
The average levels which can be seen in the chemical analysis of the olive oil are very interesting indeed and indicate a significant product both from a nutritional point of view and from the point of view of its healthful qualities. They show the typical aromas and flavors of Chianti Classico: fruity and intense with notes of fresh and fragrant field herbs and artichokes, piquant notes of arugola and spicy peppers, much length, aromatic penetration, and much persistence of flavor.
For a meaningful and flavorful olive oil, Chianti Classico should be tried.
SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHIANTI CLASSICO DOP OLIVE OIL
Chemical characteristics – appellation rules
Organoleptic Characteristics according to Appellation Rules
color: from an intense green to a green with golden highlights
A FEW NUMBERS
| number of member olive cultivators in 2012 |
246 |
| number of
member olive oil bottlers in 2012 |
64 |
| number of member millers in 2012 |
26 |
| number of olive plants carried on the official consortium register in 2012 |
400.000 |
Quantity decreased while optimism grows for the quality of a vintage with Sangiovese at the helm
The 2012 harvest in Black Rooster territory caused worry with several months of drought. Fortunately, after this dry season and one of Chianti’s hottest summers on recent record, late August brought enough rain to ensure that even this unusual summer would end in a good harvest for Chianti Classico.
The drier weather that came in through the summer certainly did influence the amount of grapes brought to the cellar. Wine production in 2012 was 16% less than the previous year, some 235,000 hl. With this smaller crop came optimism for a fine vintage. This optimism proved practical once people started to taste the wines.
Sangiovese weathered the unusual weather patterns of 2012 nicely, and thanks to its adaptability, the wines are tasting sensational.
Healthy grapes reached the cellar in perfect condition thanks precisely to the high temperatures and lack of moisture that kept the usual vine infestations (downy and powdery mildews) at bay. This helped foster correct, quick fermentation after pressing, with average alcohol content remaining at acceptable levels (at about 14° at most).
So 2012 promises very balanced wines, with excellent ratios of alcohol, acidity and polyphenols that seem to be guaranteeing mellow products, very fruity and with good but not excessive alcohol content.
For a full report on the 2012 vintage, please see: http://chianticlassico.com/blog/?attachment_id=706
The Chianti Classico Consorzio gives us all of the details:
Chianti Classico sales up 10% in 2012, thanks mainly to exports. This is an upward trend after a smaller growth in 2011, which was up 4% over 2010.
The top customers outside of Italy for the Black Rooster’s Wines? The United States, Germany and Canada.
Exports of Chianti Classico reached an 80% share of sales. This is a solid “base” that in the future promises to give the Black Rooster denomination a reassuring certainty in sales, enabling it to look to the future with optimism in spite of the fact that the global economy is still in a delicate state.
From 2010 to 2012, sales of Chianti Classico held steady in the traditional markets noted above. The United States came first (28% of sales in 2010, 2011 and 2012) followed by Germany, growing nicely (12% in 2010, 13% in 2011 and 12% in 2012), Canada, another market on the rise and taking the place of Great Britain (7% in 2010, 8% in 2011 and 9% in 2012).
Other market shares include the United Kingdom (7% in all three years), Switzerland (7% in all three years), Japan (4% in all three years), Scandinavia (4% in 2012 from 2% in 2011) and other countries (3% in all three years) on a par in 2012 with Benelux, while Russia’s share was 2% and China’s 1%. This picture is in line with the overall trend for Italian wine: the uptake is basically in exports.
There were contrasting signals from the Italian market, where Black Rooster labels still hold a secondary share of sales (24% in 2010, 22% in 2011 and 20% in 2012) but clearly this has been influenced by the general decline in wine consumption in Italy (falling well below the “psychological” level of 40 liters per capita).
Continuing is the trend in reduced stock, down 5% from 2011 figures, and an upturn in bulk wine prices, from July 2012 to date rising from 120 to 140 euros per hectoliter to 150 to 175.
In 2012 Chianti Classico wine production was of 235,000 hectoliters, down 16% from the previous year. There are 560 members of the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, 365 of which are bottlers. Chianti Classico, which in the wine world can properly be called a district, can count on “big enterprise” figures: sales that can be estimated as more than 500 million euro, bottled wine production worth 360 million euro and olive oil production worth 10 million euro.
P.S. the Consortium counts on the professionalism of the Press to whom this press release is addressed to insure that the name of the “Chianti Classico” appellation not be modified or shortened. Substituting “Chianti Classico” with “Chianti” means radically changing the information which we are communicating. These two names, in fact, represent two appellations (DOCGs) with an entirely different production area, history, and producer’s Consortiums.
If you wish to utilize an alternative term for “Chianti Classico”, we suggest the use of “Black Rooster” , the icon and symbol which are synonymous with the “Chianti Classico” DOCG.
Thank you for your attention to this point. (the Consorzio)
Despite the fact that Chianti Classico production is falling (-20%), the demand for the wines is increasing. The United States continues to be one of Chianti Classico’s biggest markets. These facts and others regarding Chianti Classico were presented recently in Florence at the annual Chianti Classico Collection event - a showing of the new vintage of Chianti Classico wines. And it was not just facts that were presented by the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium.
A Chianti Classico Revolution has begun - a revamped logo, a new wine at the top of the quality pyramid, a new requirement for Riserva, and stricter regulations on bulk wine, and more were presented at the Collection event.
The name of the new wine at the top of the pyramid is called: Great Selection, and now Riserva and Vintage will be placed under the new wine on the pyramid.
For Riserva wines, a Chianti Classico may become reserve only if the manufacturer declares it so earlier on in the production process.
Bulk wine may be marketed only if certified as Chianti Classico (ie only after the tasting committee has certified it as such), unlike today with the so-called “action to become.” It has to prove itself as quality or its a no-go for that wine.
Restyling of the historic brand logo – the black rooster - by Robilant & Associates says goodbye to parchment and shape of cap, the black rooster comes back singing — expressing energy, beauty and elegance.
The band with the new logo will be moved — the final spot has yet to be determined!
More news to share soon -
Ciao!