The symbol starts with a legend.
A fierce medieval competition for land raged between Siena and Firenze and one day, the two cities decided to settle their dispute with a simple test. The idea was that two soldiers on horse back- the best from each city- would begin at their own city gates and start galloping toward the opposing city at dawn- signaled by the cry of their chosen rooster. Where the two soldiers met, a new property line would be drawn. The strategy was all in the rooster since whomever chose a rooster who would call the loudest and signal the soldiers promptly at daybreak would be given an advantage and therefore gain more land for their city-state.
Each city chose a rooster with their town color. Siena chose a white rooster and fed him a giant meal, thinking that the extra food would give him more energy and make him cry louder. Firenze, on the other hand, prevented their black rooster from eating before sunrise.
At the moment of truth, the famished black rooster awoke immediately at daybreak, cried louder and earlier than the sleepy, satiated white rooster and therefore gave the Florentine soldier a great head start. When the two soldiers met between Siena and Firenze, the lead was enough to make all but the 12 kilometers closet to Siena property of Firenze. Now, centuries later, the symbol of ‘Gallo Nero’ on a bottle of Chianti Classico or Chianti Riserva signifies that the wine is DOCG approved and indeed grown in a very specific region within Chianti.
A black rooster on a red background signifies that the wine is Chianti Classico, where a black rooster on a gold background represents Chianti Classico Riserva.