The adjectives that easily become rhetorical – for it should be remembered that there was a very sophisticated art of rhetoric of ancient origin which is no longer taught today – are the first that emerge in the minds of those who want to write about this region, but it is a temptation one should try to avoid. Well then, let us face the difficult task of communicating personal suggestions and impressions through the written word, trying not to fall into the shallow trivialities of certain pompous and general descriptions. Traveling to the Chianti implies visiting a well kept countryside, where spontaneous nature is dominated by low oak woods, where there are also black hornbeams and chestnut trees, rows of poplars and isolated alders, along the protected areas that have a long existence near water sources. Among the spontaneous thickets are visible junipers and the bright yellow tufts of sweet-smelling broom, a natural flora that grows amidst vast spaces in which to move and expand. But these spaces are shared with vineyards and olive trees that cover entire slopes, giving us an impression of their being scanty and less invasive. Indeed, olive trees are small, cultivated, spiritual trees both pleasant and soothing to look at. Just try to take a walk in a large olive grove and in the repetitive and slightly nerve-wracking, however beautiful, maze of a vineyard. In the land of olive trees, one seems to belong to a world which recalls the slow, interior rhythms of meditation, leaving sufficient space and light. Instead, in the land of vines, you are in the center of a feast, crowded with shrubs, foliage and large bunches of ripe grapes that capture your attention, grip and inebriate you.
One impression, shared also by others, is that there are no longer peasants in the Chianti. Maybe you do not see them because of the rough territory, interrupted by valleys and hillsides. You may catch a glimpse of someone driving a tractor in the distance, but these are only fleeting impressions – tiny men swallowed by an overflowing countryside. However they do exist, moving slowly in large crowds towards the vineyards and working solidly during the harvesting when the grapes of Sangiovese are ready to change their name and harvesting Chianti. They are always present – old men, sons, grand-children, relatives and so many young people coming from the urban centers and cities to give a hand, learning to do something useful. And above all they come to take part in a joyful ritual which goes back to the origins of the world. This ritual is repeated again two months later when the very same people who took part in the grape harvesting also assist in the olive picking. They stretch a large sheet around each tree and climb to pick the olives which are then harvested and pressed to obtain the healthiest, most tasty and gleaming of all natural fats.
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See also:

The Chianti Countryside, Two Ancient Cities and The Chianti, Chianti Painted by Vasari

or go back to A Land Between Two Ancient Cities