Toronto Wine Guy: "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti"

Well, that answers that question: Exactly what wine does one drink with the liver of a pushy census taker?

Chianti, of course!

Good enough for Hannibal Lecter, good enough for me. Though I never eat liver and rarely eat fava beans.

Chianti was the first wine I remember buying regularly. That, along with the classic 'I'm in my 20's and this black bottle looks sort of badass' Masi Valpolicella:

But back then Chianti still came in the uber-kitchy, squat, straw-wrapped bottle (called a fiasco!)

Little did I know that I was drinking a really cheapo wine. Not quite Mateus cheap...but close. (Mateus being the 'which wine can I afford on an OSAP budget?' wine).

Ahh...memories...

But the Chianti tasted good to me, it went great with pizza and the bottle was fun...always made a great candle holder too!

You don't see those bottles much anymore (sadly, I say!) in Ontario. The one I brought back from Tuscany a few years ago has become a decoration. I figured the wine inside was likely average at best so on the shelf it remains...along with other souvenirs including that weird spongy rock I grabbed from the top of Mt. Vesuvius!

But now Chianti has become a bit more fancy pants. The cheapest bottle of Chianti at LCBO is now around $12, the most expensive around $300! Mateus, by the way, is now $8.95, up from the six something I remember it costing 'back in the day'....more on LCBO pricing another time.

This increase in Chianti quality is largely due to Tuscan* wine makers taking their jobs a bit more seriously in the past decade or two.

*This is a Tusken Raider. His wines suck.

Chianti is made, primarily, from Sangiovese, a fine grape that also makes the amazing Brunello di Montalcino! Though some Chiantis have as much as 25% other grapes mixed in. Unless you know the producer it's tough to tell exactly what the recipe is for a particular Chianti. This being the case, Chianti can come in many styles ranging from light, juicy and fruity to darker, fuller, more savory and tannic. But in almost all cases they should have really good acidity. Acidity in wine is what makes your mouth water and it's what makes a wine go great with food. Chianti is great for cutting through zesty tomato sauces.

As with the previous posting about Beaujolais, Chianti comes in a few tiers:

"Chianti"...the grapes might come from anywhere in the Chianti region. You won't find anything that will blow your mind, but you will likely enjoy a glass of fruity, tangy wine that matches well with your pizza or spaghetti.

The letters "D.O.G." on a sticker on the neck "guarantees" the origin of the grapes while "D.O.C.G." additionally "guarantees" the quality of the wine...it's not fool proof but it increases your chances of grabbing a better bottle of wine.

Another one you'll see is "Chianti Classico" This wine comes from a more specific part of the Chianti region. The rules are a bit more strict, the wine more expensive, and also better.

"Classico" is just one of several areas of Chianti.

Here's a map I stole from Wikipedia, it shows the large "Chianti" region and all the smaller sub-regions...Like French wines, the more specific the location, the better the wine...theoretically.

In general, my advice to you when looking to buy something better than regular Chianti is to look for a few things:

-"Classico" or another sub-region...if Classico, look for a Black Rooster as it indicates that the wine has been regulated by the Gallo Nero Consortium, a bunch of producers that got together to keep quality standards high.

-"D.O.C.G." on the neck
-"Reserva" This means that the wine has been aged a extra couple years of more.
-"Chianti Superiore" a less common Chianti that has high standards.

In the tremendously under-rated sequel to The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, we find the good doctor slumming it in Florence. At one point we see him sitting in an al fresco cafe, sipping a glass of wine.

So about a year or two ago I tried to freeze the DVD frame to see what he was drinking....and yup, sure enough, it was Chianti, Il Grigio Chianti Classico: