A close-up view of sangiovese grapes to be made into Chianti at the Colle Lungo vineyard in Castellina in Chianti, Tuscany, Italy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)By Giovanni Balboni
While there are many people who might enjoy a wonderful holiday with a Chianti villa rental, there is one subsection of the general populace who find it particularly appealing - ampelographers! Confused? Don't worry - if you've never heard it before, ampelography is just the term for the field of botany which studies the classification and identification of grapevines. As a scientific discipline, it grew to prominence in the 19th century, as it became important to gain a greater knowledge of grapevines in the face of diseases and pests such as phylloxera. The grape vine is an extremely mutable species, making the study of it absolutely fascinating - and its good news for wine lovers as well, as it allows the range of different vintages we enjoy today. An ampelographer visiting Chianti will find a lot to mull over while sampling the region's wines.
