Last time we began looking at Barbera, a wine that in Italy has traditionally been produced as an inexpensive table wine to be enjoyed regularly with meals. It’s not been hailed as a great wine - there are other Italian wines that get that spotlight.

Barbera is thought to have originated in the hills of central Piemonte (“peh-ah-MON-tey”) Italy, where it has been known from the 13th century. That’s significantly earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon that has only been around since the 17th century.

Barbera is an early-ripening grape that, in Italy, is commonly grown on the cooler lower slopes below the more highly prized Nebbiolo grapes, and in other secondary locations. The best known Barbera is from the DOCG (the highest classification for Italian wines) of Barbera d'Asti. You’ll also find ‘Barbera d'Alba’ DOC (the main tier of Italian wine classification) and Barbera del Monferrato DOC, which tends to be somewhat sparkling (frizzante) and is rarely exported.

It wasn’t until the 1980s that the quality of Barbera began to significantly improve in Italy. It started being planted in better sites, yields were limited for quality as opposed to quantity and more attention was given to aging in better barrels. This took Barbera from a common light-bodied wine to something more special with greater flavor and character.

Barbera wines are best known for flavors of sour cherry, blackberry, herbs and black pepper with light tannins and high acidity.

The lightest versions of Barbera are generally not recommended for cellaring. I’ve learned this the hard way having previously opened three ‘prized’ bottles of Barbera on one special night and finding that all three, which had been stored properly in my wine fridge for approximately five years, had gone bad.

So, there’s a quick review of Barbera from Italy. Next time we’ll take a look at how Barbera came to California and its history here. Until then, Cheers!