Grape variety
Barbera
Barbera, the high-acid red of Piedmont: its Monferrato origin, Barbera d’Asti and Nizza, character, regions and what to eat with it.
- Colour
- Red
- Origin
- Monferrato (Piedmont); mentioned in 13th-century documents from Casale Monferrato
- Main regions
- Piedmont (Asti, Alba, Monferrato), about 20,000 hectares in Italy; Argentina, California, Australia
- Typical aromas
- Sour cherry, blackberry, plum; very little tannin, high acidity
- Classic pairing
- Agnolotti, pizza, salami, tomato sauces
- Styles
- Fresh and fruity with little wood, or dense and aged in barrique
Barbera is Piedmont’s everyday grape, long regarded as a simple wine for every day while Nebbiolo took the attention. It comes from the Monferrato, the hills around Asti and Alessandria; documents from Casale Monferrato mention vines called “barbexinis” in the 13th century. In Piedmont it is the most planted red variety, and across Italy it covers about 20,000 hectares.
In the vineyard it is vigorous and, left alone, far too generous; quality demands strictly limited yields. The best slopes of the Langhe belong to Nebbiolo, and Barbera often had to make do with the rest. In the glass it stands out for its deep colour, very little tannin and a high acidity that stays even at full ripeness. The result is a juicy, direct wine with aromas of sour cherry, blackberry and plum that gives pleasure when young. Around Alba, where Nebbiolo takes the best sites, comes Barbera d’Alba, which often shows deeper colour and more powerful fruit.
In the early 1980s Giacomo Bologna in Rocchetta Tanaro began ageing Barbera in barriques; his Bricco dell’Uccellone became the symbol of a denser, more serious style. Since then two schools have existed side by side: a fresh, fruity Barbera with little wood and a deep one aged in barrique.
The appellations in brief: Barbera d’Asti has been a DOCG since 2008, covers several thousand hectares and contains at least 90 per cent Barbera; as a Superiore it must age at least 14 months, six of them in wood. Nizza, from 18 communes around Nizza Monferrato, has been a DOCG of its own since 2014, 100 per cent Barbera, with at least 18 months of ageing, the Riserva 30. Barbera d’Alba may contain up to 15 per cent Nebbiolo, and Barbera del Monferrato must contain at least 85 per cent Barbera. The vineyard landscape of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014; one of its six components is called “Nizza Monferrato and Barbera”.
Outside Italy, Barbera covers several thousand hectares in California, in the Central Valley for simple volume wines, in Napa and Sonoma for better bottles; in Argentina it is about 1,000 hectares, mostly for blending, and in Australia only small amounts. Acidity makes Barbera the wine for tomato sauces, fat and cured meats: agnolotti, pizza, charcuterie boards, braised dishes. Serve it at 14 to 16 degrees.