History
The first of Italy’s grape-grower/winemaker consortiums was established on May 14, 1924, when a group of 33 producers gathered
in Radda in Chianti to create a consortium to protect Chianti wine and its trademark of origin. In fact, famous Chianti wine
was being imitated in other parts of Tuscany and it was necessary to set up an organization to prevent imitations and simultaneously
promote a wine territory already delimited in 1716 by an edict issued by Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III. Members of the newly
founded consortium immediately chose as a trademark the Gallo Nero (Black Rooster), historic symbol of the ancient Chianti Military
League, and by the end of September 1924 the Consortium had 189 members.
From 1924 to 1967 the Consortium was engaged in long and difficult legal battles to obtain exclusive recognition of the fact that
wines made in Chianti territory are different from the wines made elsewhere in Tuscany. A first important step in this direction
was the 1932 ministerial decree that identified seven distinct zones of Chianti wine production: the wine made within Chianti’s
geographical borders was permitted to use the adjective "Classico" to distinguish it from the others. This concession acknowledged
the wine’s territoriality, origin and primogeniture well before the denomination system was introduced. From that moment on,
"Classico" meant "the first" or "the original." Another milestone was reached in 1967 with the approval of a
decree recognizing a single Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) for Chianti, within which "Classico" was regulated as
a wine with more selective characteristics.
In 1984 Chianti - and consequently the oldest zone of origin, Chianti Classico - obtained Denomination of Origin Controlled and Guaranteed (D.O.C.G.) status, the highest recognition for fine Italian wines. Three years later, in 1987, and in anticipation of an imminent law that would oblige tutelary consortiums to grant the trademark to all users of the appellation, the Consortium divided its operations between two organizations: the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico (Chianti Classico Wine Consortium), which was engaged in protection and oversight, and the Consorzio Gallo Nero (later the Consorzio del Marchio Storico-Chianti Classico or Historic Chianti Classico Brand Consortium) devoted instead to promoting and valorizing wines bearing the Gallo Nero trademark. Finally, concluding a 70-year legal itinerary, a ministerial decree issued on August 5, 1996 gave Chianti Classico its own D.O.C.G., with production regulations different from those for Chianti wine. Since then Chianti and Chianti Classico have been two separate denominations, with different regulations and production zones.
At the start of the new millennium more important steps were taken in defining what is now the "Chianti Classico system." In November 2003 a legislative decree gave the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium control of the entire Chianti Classico D.O.C.G. production chain and, therefore, over all the wineries active in the zone, whether Consortium members or not. This was the so-called "erga omnes," whose experimental phase ended in August 2006 with confirmation of the Consortium’s eminent position by the Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policies. This also had important consequences for the interests of final consumers, who by the end of 2007 will be able, on the Internet, to trace the genesis and history of a bottle of wine through the identification number appearing on the government seal (the pink band distinguishing D.O.C.G. wines). In June 2005 the Consorzio del Marchio Storico-Chianti Classico was incorporated into the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium. After this merger the Gallo Nero trademark was added to the government seal and, therefore, made compulsory on all bottles of Chianti Classico wine. The Black Rooster thus returned to the role of univocal symbol for all Chianti Classico, becoming an icon for the territory and the whole production chain.
With more than 600 members, about 350 of them bottlers, the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium now represents 95% of the entire denomination and has an up-to-date, well-structured and professional organization tasked with protecting and valorizing Chianti Classico wine and its trademark. Engaged in protecting it are a test laboratory and inspection and legal departments, while promotion is entrusted to a marketing and communication office. The Consortium also works on the education and research front, and its endeavors include the Chianti Classico 2000 project.
From 1924 to 1967 the Consortium was engaged in long and difficult legal battles to obtain exclusive recognition of the fact that
wines made in Chianti territory are different from the wines made elsewhere in Tuscany. A first important step in this direction
was the 1932 ministerial decree that identified seven distinct zones of Chianti wine production: the wine made within Chianti’s
geographical borders was permitted to use the adjective "Classico" to distinguish it from the others. This concession acknowledged
the wine’s territoriality, origin and primogeniture well before the denomination system was introduced. From that moment on,
"Classico" meant "the first" or "the original." Another milestone was reached in 1967 with the approval of a
decree recognizing a single Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) for Chianti, within which "Classico" was regulated as
a wine with more selective characteristics.In 1984 Chianti - and consequently the oldest zone of origin, Chianti Classico - obtained Denomination of Origin Controlled and Guaranteed (D.O.C.G.) status, the highest recognition for fine Italian wines. Three years later, in 1987, and in anticipation of an imminent law that would oblige tutelary consortiums to grant the trademark to all users of the appellation, the Consortium divided its operations between two organizations: the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico (Chianti Classico Wine Consortium), which was engaged in protection and oversight, and the Consorzio Gallo Nero (later the Consorzio del Marchio Storico-Chianti Classico or Historic Chianti Classico Brand Consortium) devoted instead to promoting and valorizing wines bearing the Gallo Nero trademark. Finally, concluding a 70-year legal itinerary, a ministerial decree issued on August 5, 1996 gave Chianti Classico its own D.O.C.G., with production regulations different from those for Chianti wine. Since then Chianti and Chianti Classico have been two separate denominations, with different regulations and production zones.
At the start of the new millennium more important steps were taken in defining what is now the "Chianti Classico system." In November 2003 a legislative decree gave the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium control of the entire Chianti Classico D.O.C.G. production chain and, therefore, over all the wineries active in the zone, whether Consortium members or not. This was the so-called "erga omnes," whose experimental phase ended in August 2006 with confirmation of the Consortium’s eminent position by the Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policies. This also had important consequences for the interests of final consumers, who by the end of 2007 will be able, on the Internet, to trace the genesis and history of a bottle of wine through the identification number appearing on the government seal (the pink band distinguishing D.O.C.G. wines). In June 2005 the Consorzio del Marchio Storico-Chianti Classico was incorporated into the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium. After this merger the Gallo Nero trademark was added to the government seal and, therefore, made compulsory on all bottles of Chianti Classico wine. The Black Rooster thus returned to the role of univocal symbol for all Chianti Classico, becoming an icon for the territory and the whole production chain.
With more than 600 members, about 350 of them bottlers, the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium now represents 95% of the entire denomination and has an up-to-date, well-structured and professional organization tasked with protecting and valorizing Chianti Classico wine and its trademark. Engaged in protecting it are a test laboratory and inspection and legal departments, while promotion is entrusted to a marketing and communication office. The Consortium also works on the education and research front, and its endeavors include the Chianti Classico 2000 project.
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