Adorable Story #22: the Ricasoli Family & the creation of the Chianti Wine

The art of winemaking by one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the planet

Winemaker Barone Bettino Ricasoli (1922-2009) poses holding up a wine glass beside a table, on which stands three bottles of wine and a basket of grapes, in a vineyard near Siena, Italy, 1983 — Photo by Slim Aarons / Gettyimages

With this week Adorable Story, we will dive into the Ricasoli family’s rich history, their passionate love affair with Chianti wine, and their lasting impact on the wine world.

The Ricasoli Family: A Historical Overview

The Ricasoli family has a storied history dating back to the XII century.

One of the oldest family-owned businesses in the world

The Ricasoli family originally established the Barone Ricasoli Wines in 1141, making it one of the oldest wineries in the Chianti region and the fourth oldest family-owned business in the world.

The 6 oldest family businesses in the world are in fact the following:

1. Kongo Gumi: founded in 578, Kongo Gumi is a Japanese construction company specializing in building Buddhist temples (in 2006 it became a subsidiary of the Takamatsu Construction Group) .

2. Hoshi Ryokan: established in 718, Hoshi Ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn located in the Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.

3. Château de Goulaine: a French winery and historical estate founded in the year 1000 AD, and located in the Loire Valley.

4. Barone Ricasoli: founded in 1141, today, the winery is still going strong under the ownership of Francesco Ricasoli, who took over in 1993. Records from the XVI century detail its first exports to Amsterdam and England. By the XIX century its wines were already exported to Saudi Arabia and China.

5. Barovier & Toso: founded in 1295, Barovier & Toso is an Italian glass manufacturer based in Murano, Venice.

6. Fonderia Pontificia Marinelli: stablished in 1339, Fonderia Pontificia Marinelli is an Italian bell foundry located in the city of Agnone (Molise), Italy, and it has been casting bells and bronze portals for churches and other institutions for over 600 years.

Bettino Ricasoli (1809-1880), the Iron Baron

Baron Bettino Ricasoli, Second Prime Minister of Italy

Bettino Ricasoli, known as the “Iron Baron,” was an influential member of the Ricasoli family and a key figure in the unification of Italy. Born on March 29, 1809, he played a crucial role in the Risorgimento movement and served as Italy’s Prime Minister twice (1861-1862 and 1866-1867).

In 1859 he founded “La Nazione,” now Italy’s oldest newspaper.

“La Nazione [was] destined to become an integral part of the lives of Florentines, and Tuscans in general”, he said.

In addition to his political accomplishments, Bettino was deeply passionate about viticulture and conducted extensive research on the Chianti wine region.

The Chianti Wine Formula: the invention of “Chianti Classico”

Bettino’s greatest contribution to the world of Chianti wine was his development of the Chianti Wine Formula.

In 1872, he wrote a (now famous) letter to Professor Cesare Studiati (of the University of Pisa), outlining the combination of grape varieties that would become the foundation for modern Chianti wine¹, now called “Chianti Classico” :