Canaiolo

Canaiolo is the grape that made Chianti drinkable before anyone knew how to make Sangiovese drinkable on its own. It was already common in Tuscany in the fourteenth century, and when Bettino Ricasoli set down his recipe for Chianti in 1872 he put Canaiolo alongside Sangiovese to soften it.

The role suits it. Canaiolo is low in tannin, moderate in acidity and gently fruity, so it rounds off the sharp edges that Sangiovese brings. It also has a practical use: the dried bunches were the traditional fuel for the governo, a Tuscan trick where partly raisined grapes are added to a finished wine to restart a slow second fermentation. That gave young Chianti a softer texture and a little more body.

Modern winemaking made the crutch unnecessary, and plantings fell hard through the late twentieth century as growers replaced Canaiolo with Merlot and Cabernet or went to pure Sangiovese. A small group of Tuscan producers now bottles it alone, which is the first honest look the grape has ever had. On its own it is pale, soft and fragrant, closer to a lighter red than to Chianti.