Barbera is a red grape from Piedmont in northwest Italy. In 2000 it was the third most planted red grape in Italy, after Sangiovese and Montepulciano. Its wines have deep color, high acidity and low tannins.
History
Barbera most likely comes from the hills of Monferrato in central Piedmont. Church records from Casale Monferrato, written between 1246 and 1277, list vineyard leases planted with "de bonis vitibus barbexinis", the old name for Barbera. Italian emigrants later took the vine to California and Argentina.
In the vineyard
The vine grows vigorously and gives high yields unless growers prune it hard. It ripens about 2 weeks earlier than Nebbiolo, so growers around Alba kept their best slopes for Nebbiolo and planted Barbera on the rest. Harvest usually falls in late September or early October. Barbera does best on less fertile calcareous and clay loam soils.
How the wine tastes
Young Barbera smells of fresh red cherry and blackberry. Lighter versions lean to cherry, raspberry and blueberry; wines from riper grapes show blackberry and black cherry. Many producers age Barbera in toasted oak barrels, which adds vanilla notes.
Where you find it
DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) are Italy's protected appellations. DOCG is the stricter tier. Each one sets which grapes the wine must contain.
- Barbera d'Asti DOCG: at least 90% Barbera, with up to 10% other red grapes. Nizza DOCG covers a sub-zone of the same area.
- Barbera d'Alba DOC: 85 to 100% Barbera, with up to 15% Nebbiolo.
- Barbera del Monferrato Superiore DOCG: at least 85% Barbera, with up to 15% Freisa, Grignolino and Dolcetto.
Sources: Wikipedia, Barbera d'Asti DOCG rules, Barbera d'Alba DOC rules, Barbera del Monferrato Superiore DOCG rules.
Illustration based on a photo by Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
