Even if you know just a little bit about Chianti, you’ve probably either seen a black rooster on a wine label or heard a story about the knights of Siena and Florence.
As the legend goes, in the Middle Ages Florence and Siena were both vying for land, and to settle this dispute once and for all they proposed a race. One knight from Florence would start heading south at dawn, and a knight from Siena would start heading north at the same time. Where those knights met would determine the border between the two regions.
Since they didn’t have alarm clocks back then, both knights waited for the sound of a rooster’s morning crow before mounting their horses and taking off. Allegedly, Florence opted for a black rooster, and they starved the poor thing for days. Whereas in Siena they picked a white rooster and fed it well, hoping that it would get a good night’s sleep and wake up early. It turns out that starving an animal is better if you want it to wake up early and look for food. Advantage: Florence.
Don’t Miss A Drop
Get the latest in beer, wine, and cocktail culture sent straight to your inbox.
Whether or not this story is true, it gives a snapshot of what was happening in the Chianti hills at the time. And on this episode of “Wine 101,” we break it all down. Tune in for more.
Listen Online
Follow Keith on Instagram @VinePairKeith. Rate and review this podcast wherever you get your podcasts from. It really helps get the word out there.
“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: Massimo Santi – stock.adobe.com
