Hello Prince Albert! One of my favorite regions of the world to taste wines from is Piedmont, Italy which produces famous wines such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Asti Spumante, and Barbera. While the wines of Barolo steal the show internationally (commanding $100-plus prices per bottle) and are often prized by collectors as some of the most age-worthy bottles, the wines of Barbera are certainly worth consideration and are a fantastic choice for affordability and creative food pairings. What is Barbera?
While it may seem complicated at first, Barbera is the name of a grape varietal that is produced in many wine regions of the world; it is in Piedmont, Italy however, that the Barbera grape can claim its origin and home. Barbera is believed to have originated as far back as the 7th Century, predating the more famous Cabernet Sauvignon by at least a thousand years! This accessible varietal can be found in countries like the USA, Australia and Argentina but the classic style of Barbera (old world) is still found in Italy where at least 52,000 acres of vineyards are planted and maintained in regions like Alba, Asti, Monferrato, Puglia and Sardinia.
You will find several designations of Barbera in Piedmont from the general-area Barbera DOC (covering the entire region of production) to the sub-regions of Asti DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata E Garantita), Alba DOCG and the newer DOCG-designated Nizza which is considered one the highest-quality wine regions.
Barbera is an interesting grape for several reasons: It is affordable (most bottles are between $25 to $40), it is flavorful (often featuring brambleberry, cherry, plum, anise, cloves and nutmeg), it has great acidity, which makes it great for pairing with food, and it has lower tannin levels meaning you can serve it with fish or other delicate foods and it won’t overpower the dish of your choosing.
I have talked about Barbera in this column before, when I tasted an older vintage of the Briccotondo Barbera. The 2022 vintage was better than the last one I tasted with higher intensity and a richer depth of flavor and concentration. For $25, it is an excellent value and I recommend giving it a taste.
How does a general Barbera compare to the supposedly higher-quality Barbera d’Asti? In theory, the wines of Barbera d’Asti have better potential for aging and will usually display more complexity and texture but there are many factors at play such as the producer, the vintage and the amount of time the wine spent in oak or bottle. Keep your eyes open for the word “Superiore” on the label which indicates that the wine will be aged a minimum of 14 months (at least 6 months in oak or chestnut). These wines tend to feature more spice and tannic structure with brambleberry/bush berry flavors and sour cherry.
I enjoyed the Truffle Hunter Leda with its extremely long finish and warming spice as well as the flavors of boysenberry and cherry; it tends to taste similar to the Briccotondo but with more spice, darker/richer fruit and a longer finish. At $26 (only $1 more than Briccotondo), it is well worth the purchase.
How does a wine like Barbera taste full and fruity while being light in body? The structure of Barbera is mainly due to the terroir in which it grows. Vines are planted on low, rounded hills which gives excellent exposure and aspect to the sun while production control like growing in small clusters (keeping yield low) and planting no higher than 650 meters above sea level (in the Asti DOCG) helps the grapes develop good acidity while also building full fruit flavors. If you haven’t given Barbera a chance, give it a try and pair it with a pizza marinara (a classic regional pairing). Here are my wine picks of the week!
Fontana Fredda Briccotondo Barbera 2022: (DOC Barbera, Italy). Dry red, medium purple color. The aroma from the nose is vibrant and fruity with red cherries, raspberry and violets. The flavors of this red are tart and tangy with ripe red fruits (cherry, raspberry), medium-plus acidity and medium-plus intensity. While the flavors are simple, they remind me of ripe red fruits growing in the hot countryside with bush fruits and wild raspberries. The mid-palate is long and flavorful with hints of warming spice (pepper) and medium tannins which add some grip to the wine without an overload of bitterness. Medium-minus body. The concentration of the wine is impressive, and this Barbera will pair well with a large variety of foods including salted pistachios, toasted/BBQ fish, stuffed meatballs or earthy, crumbly cheeses. Good! $25, 13.5% ABV
Truffle Hunter Leda Barbera d’Asti 2021: (DOCG Barbera d’Asti, Italy). Dry red, medium to deep purple color. The nose is fruity and intense with spice, and red fruits such as cinnamon heart candies/cinnamon stick, plums, cherry candy, stewed red cherries, cloves, a hint of toast, pepper and freshly-pressed grape juice. The fruitiness is slightly less apparent on the palate, but it is backed up by warming spices, enjoyable alcohol heat and a finish that goes on for minutes at a time. The flavor profile is on the simple side, but it has a few layers to savor such as toast, cloves, cinnamon, red cherries, pepper, boysenberry, dark raspberry and an enjoyable grapey overtone. Light body, medium-plus intensity with medium fine tannins (the perfect compliment to this red) and medium acidity. This Barbera has a tangy style, but it doesn’t taste as tart as the Briccotondo, which seems to lessen the impact of the acidity in this specific wine compared to the other. Since this Italian is slightly more nuanced, you can get creative with food pairings like venison, bison, herbal pasta dishes or charcuterie. Avoid sweet foods as they will make the wine taste bitter. Instead, stick to earthy, savory/salty, fatty foods to enhance the fruitiness and liveliness. Very good! $26, 13.5% ABV
Cheers and thanks for reading!
