Chianti Wine Road Map

The Chiantigiana (SR222)

To plan a trip through the Chianti Classico wine-growing region, you have to start with the Chiantigiana, also known as road SR222. This road runs from Florence to Siena, crossing a vast territory of vineyards, olive groves, and countless wineries where visitors can stop for a tasting.

Finding the wineries

The Chiantigiana isn't a straight road — it winds through hills covered in vineyards, and it's easy to get lost without a GPS pointed at your planned wineries. Unlike Napa Valley, wineries here aren't lined up along the main road: many are tucked deep in the valley, reached by dusty back roads, even though the surrounding countryside is some of the most beautiful in Tuscany.

Unlike Napa Valley, wineries here aren't lined up along the main road: many are tucked deep in the valley, reached by dusty back roads

The wine: Chianti Classico

Chianti Classico is Italy's best-known red wine internationally, built on the Sangiovese grape blended traditionally with Canaiolo, Malvasia, and Trebbiano. It has a ruby red color tending toward garnet, an intense bouquet of sweet violet, and a soft, slightly tannic flavor, with a minimum alcohol content of 12 degrees. It's produced only in Tuscany, across the areas of Chianti Classico, Montalbano, Rufina, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colli Aretini, and Colline Pisane — with Chianti Classico itself, between Florence and Siena, being where the oldest production is concentrated.