Chianti is an Italian wine that is made out of a blend of different kinds of grapes from the Chianti region. The chief dissimilarity between regular Chianti and others depend upon the minimum percentage permission of Sangiovese grapes i.e. 75% along with the rules that permit white grapes to be blended in as well. The alcohol content is normally around 11%.
The Wines
Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva are two of the best Chianti wines that are admired all over the world. Wondering what makes Chianti Classico different from regular Chianti? Chianti Classico has a minimum 80% of Sangiovese grapes and the rest of the blend is made using only red grapes. Some producers choose to make Chianti Riserva using 100% Sangiovese grapes but it is not a hard and fast rule. The alcohol content of Chianti Classico is at least 12%, and the beverage normally spends about 12 months in oak barrels to age well.
This is not where the Chianti variation ends, there is one more variation of Chianti and this particular variation is considered the most special and fanciest. It is called Chianti Classico Riserva. If you already guessed that Riserva means reserved in Italian then you are not only getting closer to Italian food but the culture and language as well.