Page "Chianti" Paragraph 7

The late nineteenth century saw a period of economic and political upheaval.

First came oidium and then the phylloxera epidemic would take its toll on the vineyards of Chianti just as they had ravaged vineyards across the rest of Europe.

The chaos and poverty following the Risorgimento heralded the beginning of the Italian diaspora that would take Italian vineyard workers and winemakers abroad as immigrants to new lands.

Those that stayed behind and replanted choose high-yielding varieties like Trebbiano and Sangiovese clones such as the Sangiovese di Romagna from the nearby Romagna region.

Following World War II, the general trend in the world wine market for cheap, easy-drinking wine saw a brief boom for the region.

With over-cropping and an emphasis on quantity over quality, the reputation of Chianti among consumers eventually plummeted.

By the 1950s, Trebbiano ( which is known for its neutral flavours ) made up to 30 % of many mass-market Chiantis.

By the late twentieth century, Chianti was often associated with basic Chianti sold in a squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, called a fiasco.

However, during the same period, a group of ambitious producers began working outside the boundaries of DOC regulations to make what they believed would be a higher quality style of Chianti.

These wines eventually became known as the " Super Tuscans ".