Barbera is a tremendous red varietal native to Italy’s Piedmont region, where it produces numerous wines, both solo and in red blends. Barbera is one of Italy’s five most planted native varieties. It is grown primarily in Piedmont and neighboring Lombardia, but the most famous examples are surely made in Piedmont.
Barbera was once a popular variety in California, where it often produced wines of distinction. Sadly, Barbera planting in California has greatly diminished in recent decades despite its ideal suitability to a wide range of popular appellations in the Golden State.
Barbera has a growing fan base among winemakers in Australia and Argentina. I have tasted delicious samples of both, and hopefully, this ancient and versatile grape will be discovered by more wine drinkers and winemakers in the New World.
Barbera wines are typically deep in color, dark purple to black, with intense ripe red fruit, low tannins, and generous amounts of acidity. In its native Piedmont, Barbera often grows near or alongside Nebbiolo. Nebbiolo is light in color and bold and intense in flavor, while Barbera is very dark in color and quite soft on the palate. Arguably, the very best Barbera can be found in the Italian appellations of Barbera d’Asti DOCG and Nizza DOCG.
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