Chianti Classico, which is an appellation under Italian wine laws, is a topographical region distinct from seven other Chianti zones, which include Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colline Pisane, Colli Senese, Montalbano, Montespertoli and Rufina.

But it is the Classico zone that has long been considered the most distinguished, the only zone with its own separate DOCG. It has also been the zone most in the forefront of Italian viniculture, currently with more attention and commitment to sustainability and battling climate change in Europe.