Giovanni Manetti, the owner of the Fontodi vineyard, is one of the driving forces behind the Chianti Classico renewal movement. With ambition, professionalism, and the valuable support of the brilliant consultant Franco Bernabei, his vineyard in the heart of the Chianti Classico region is now one of the very top producers of Chianti. The secret behind Fontodi's success lies in the sum of all the most carefully completed details. This principle also applies to pruning vines, selecting grapes during harvesting, and working in the wine cellar. Manetti leaves nothing to chance. And the wines reflect this: always balanced, vibrant and tangy and produced in a technically excellent manner. Fontodi exclusively practices biodynamic viticulture. Herbicides, pesticides and fungicides are gone without exception. The vines all face south and are perfectly aerated, with excellent drainage. These climatic conditions are ideal for allowing the Sangiovese grape to ripen perfectly. The best grapes from a single vineyard are used in the famous Flaccianello della Pieve.

In addition to his work at his estate, Manetti also serves as Chairman of the Consorzio Chianti Classico, a position he assumed in September 2018. One of his most important tasks in this position is to further the dialogue about the notion of zonazione for labelling Chianti Classico. Zonazione, if approved, would be a significant step forward for the territory's producers, as wines would be labelled not merely as Chianti Classico, but with the name of the village or district from which the grapes were sourced. Thus, the Chianti Classico wines of Fontodi would be labelled as Panzano in Chianti. In contrast, the labels of other wines would bear the origin of the fruit, as in Gaiole in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti and so on.

This is a long-overdue situation for the producers of Chianti Classico. Manetti explains that most producers favour this change and that the Consorzio are almost there with the final decision. Exact designations must be agreed upon; for example, is 'Gaiole' in Chianti sufficient, or can producers who use fruit from the small village of Monti in Chianti label their wines with that geographical term? Several other origins require fine-tuning, and Manetti, a major proponent of zonazione, is confident that this will be approved within the following year. Of course, then the consorzio has to submit its findings to the Ministry of Agriculture. According to Manetti, it may take another two years for it to be officially approved; however, good things often take time.