Welcome to our new website! Discover what's new in our latest article.
rgba(0,0,26,1)
rgba(255,255,255,1)
Discover and bid on unique, highly limited and renowned wines in our online auctions each month.
Barbera
Barbera is a red grape that is native to Italy and at the turn of the century was its third most-planted grape after Sangiovese and Montepulciano. Although since overtaken by others, it remains hugely popular and is particularly synonymous with the Piedmont region, alongside Nebbiolo and Dolcetto.
An ancient grape, there are many regional vineyards in Italy with century-old Barbera vines. It is believed to have its origins in the hills of Monferrato in central Piemonte where it is claimed to have been known as early as the 13th century, although it has only been traceably documented since the 17th. Scientific studies have established one of Barbera's parents as Coccalona Nera, also known as Orsolina, while there is also speculation that it may be a relative of Mourvedre as well. Barbera itself has since become a parent grape of many cross varieties.
The popularity of Barbera in Italy saw it widely distributed to the new world by emigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries and it is now commonly cultivated in the US, Australia and Argentina as well.
Notable wines include the Barbera d'Asti DOCG and Nizza DOCG, and the grape is also used to produce rare sparkling reds from the Colli Piacentini DOC in Emilia-Romagna.
Notable regions
Northwest Italy is the home of Barbera, particularly in Piedmont where it is widely grown in the Alba Langhe region and the Asti and Monferrato regions. In 2001, the town of Nizza was officially recognized as a sub-region within the greater Barbera d'Asti DOC, both of which have since been upgraded to DOCG classification.
Elsewhere, Barbera is one of the most successful of the Piedmont grapes to have been cultivated in California, where it is popularly found in the Sierra Foothills, Santa Barbara and Central Valley. Barbera wine is also produced in Australia and Argentina.
Characteristics
Barbera tends to produce red wines with low tannins and high acidity, often with particularly light body in contrast to their deep colour.
The dominant flavours and aromas of Barbera are those of red fruits, namely blackberry, cherry and strawberry, with other notes of anise and nutmeg. New world varieties can also contain mineral qualities.