May 8, 2023 · Straw Wine Versus Other Dessert Wines. Unlike botrytis-affected wines, where rot is key, it’s essential to have mold- and mildew-free grapes to make straw wine. “One of the keys to straw wine is you’re working with healthy grapes to begin with,” says Mullineux. “If you have some rot in the vineyard and you lay it down with the grapes ...

By the 1960s, Baron Ricasoli’s recipe became the rule. Chianti had to be a blended wine, and up to 30% could be white grapes. But if you wanted to make a wine that was 100% Sangiovese or add international grape varieties to the blend, you couldn’t call it Chianti.