At 5:00 PM -0800 10/24/02, J.Dunn wrote:
>Chianti is, by definition, table wine. ;-)
My reply to someone else that mentioned that:
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>Herb, here you are given yourself away. The use of the Chianti name on wine
>requires controlled origin, so it is not possible to find any Chianti that
>does not come from Italy.
I know that, too. Like Champagne not made in the Champagne region not being
called Champagne (call it Asti Spumanti).
>surprised to know that apart from some recent vintages, Chianti is generally
>considered to be 'plonk' in Italy. Wine for the less refined palates.
When I went to school in Florence, my budget was pretty much on the Chianti level- 1000 lire a bottle (about one dollar back then). I still have a soft spot for it, even though it's not far above common table wine. I used Chianti as an example because it's a universally understood kind of wine here in the USA.
But that's part of the point I was trying to make- A Chianti that's not made in the Chianti region in Tuscany is not really a Chianti. And a Motobecane that's not made in France is not really a Motobecane. It's like a Beetle made in Mexico, or a Porsche made in Finland. ___________________________________
But actually, though Chianti can be a table wine, it is not by strict definition table wine (in Italy). The table wine served in a typical trattoria is what the Italians call table wine. It's mass produced, highly variable, and can come from anywhere.
Best Wishes,
Herb Langston