Piedmont's Barbera Wines: History, Regions, and Top Producers

The fourth most widely planted grape in Italy is Barbera.  In the Piemonte, it is the most widely planted grape and accounts for over 50% of the annual DOC red wine production and 35% of the vineyard area.  Thought to be native to the Piemonte, Barbera has been grown there for centuries.  It is most likely the grape written about by Paul the Deacon in his description of the Battle of Refrancore in 663 when the Longobard troops of Grimaldo defeated the Franks after getting them drunk on wine.  He confirmed that the Longobards filled amphorae with wine and scattered them around the surrounding fields.  The Franks found these jugs and drank voraciously from them making them unfit for battle. 

There is a document from the 16th century in the city hall of Nizza Monferrato which mentions the growing of the grapes.  In 1798, Count Nuvolune, in his duties as the deputy director of the agrarian society of Turin indentified Barbera in his writings on the varietals grown in Piedmont.  He listed it under the name Vitis vinifera Montisferratensis which basically meant the grapes grown in the hills surrounding Monferrato.  That area is still today one of the principal growing regions for the grape. 

When Phyloxera hit the Piemonte in the late 1800’s requiring substantial replanting of vines, Barbera was the choice for many new plantings.  It grew easily and abundantly.  A favorite of the local farmers as much for its ease to grow as its performance at the dinner table.  It became the everyday choice for a simple inexpensive wine for the locals to drink.  Barbera drinks well young but also can age for  a decade easily.  Some would say it does not begin to reach its peak until six or eight years from the vintage.  Some producers, however, saw the potential of Barbera planting the grapes in some of their choicest vineyard locations that normally would have been reserved for Nebbiolo.  The results proved that Barbera could produce wines of uncommon quality.  Still, it has always taken a back seat to the more honored nebbiolo wines especially Barolo and Barbaresco.  The result is that there are some wonderful Barberas that are affordable too.  

Barbera is made in many different styles.  The best Barberas are deep ruby in color with some purple hues.  The wines have lush plum and cherry flavors with hints of spice and black pepper.  They are higher in acidity than many wines making them ideal counterparts for the food of northern Italy.  Interestingly, these wines tend to be lower in tannins than one might expect and readily accessible on release.  Above all perhaps, they are almost perfect food wines.