In the film “The Silence of the Lambs,” serial killer and cannibal Hannibal Lecter states, “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.” In the book that the movie is based on, however, he eats the census-taker’s liver with a big Amarone. But due to Chianti’s popularity at the time, it was added to the script in place of Amarone. That’s just how recognizable Chianti was — and still is — to the American drinking public.
Cameos aside, as we’ve discussed thus far in our Italy series, wine trade first took hold in the southern part of the nation. Today, we’re going to shift our attention slightly north to the Tuscan Apennine Mountains. Here, ancient Etruria (modern-day Tuscany) was the heart of Italian civilization in the 7th century B.C. Hundreds of years later, the Roman Empire fell, the ancient times gave way to the Middle Ages, and it wasn’t until the 15th century A.D. that viticulture in central Italy was truly embraced. This is where Chianti comes in.
On this episode of “Wine 101,” we discuss how 7th century Etruscans set the stage for what would become Italy’s first fine wine region. Tune in for more.
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“Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big old shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. Big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darby Cicci for the theme song. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.
*Image retrieved from SimoneGilioli via stock.adobe.com