Behind the Cork™ Helwig Frenchmen’s Creek Barbera

2015 Helwig Frenchmen’s Creek Barbera ($35)

Dave Helwig had a dream to move to the wine country upon retirement. After searching with his wife, Nancy, for the perfect wine region to relocate to from their home in Southern California, Dave couldn’t resist the charm and simplicity the Shenandoah Valley of Amador County had to offer.

As I’ve said many times in the past, I’m a big fan of Barbera from the Amador & El Dorado counties in northern California. These Barbara’s are bigger and bolder than Italian Barbera. They are full of bright fruit flavor along with the characteristic acidity.

This wine has big black fruit flavors of blackberry, blueberry, huckleberry, plum, black currant, and black cherry. This one has soft tannins, moderate acidity and really nice finish.

If you are in or near Plymouth California, give them a visit at their beautiful winery and tasting room or check out their wines at www.Helwig.com Cheers!

Barbera Wine in California

While Barbera is originally from Italy, it was brought to California by Italian immigrants in the 19th century.

Much of it was originally grown in California’s Central Valley where it has been widely used as a blend component in mass-produced jug wines.

Word has it that Barbera was a personal favorite of Ernest and Julio Gallo. Their vineyards, planted in the early 1970s, are said to still be producing Barbera. Barbera is believed to be a component in Ernest and Julio Gallo’s Hearty Burgundy and the Italian Swiss Colony Winery has also reportedly used it successfully for several of their table wines.

Today, Barbera is being produced in many of the finer wine regions of California and seems especially well suited for Northern California’s El Dorado and Amador Counties.

I’m constantly on the lookout for Barbara. It’s difficult to find and still somewhat of a wine that doesn’t get the respect that it deserves. So, if you are lucky enough to find a bottle of California Barbera, give it a try. And, it’s no surprise that it pairs very well with hearty Italian foods. Cheers!

Barbera Wine in Italy

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!

Are You Familiar with Barbera Wine?

My “Ah ha” moment with wine involved a Berbera. “A what?” I asked. I’d never heard of it and really, really liked it.

Barbera (Bar-BEAR-ah) is a grape that is grown throughout Italy, especially in the Piedmont region. It is Italy’s third most grown grape behind Sangiovese (most notably known as the grape in Chianti) and Nebbiolo. In Italy, it’s known to produce inexpensive table wine that is enjoyed regularly with meals.

It’s also grown on a significantly smaller scale in California. Much of it is grown in the Central Valley where it is widely used as a blend component in mass-produced jug wines. This is because Barbera is a very vigorous grape variety that can produce high yields. But, it is truly being produced into fine wines in Northern California’s El Dorado and Amador Counties as well as a couple other smaller wine producing regions.

Like so many wines, Barbera can be different depending on where it is grown and how the winemaker treats it. Barbera is typically a medium-bodied wine with lighter tannins and higher acidity. It is usually enjoyed young (two to four years after harvest).

Next time I’ll get into more detail on this amazing grape and how different it can be. Until then, Cheers!

The Wines of Amador County

California’s Gold Rush of the 1850s included the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. As fortune seekers flocked to the Sierras to prospect for gold, small wineries also began to appear. But the decline of gold mining in the late 1800s, followed by the start of Prohibition, brought devastation to this small wine community. But, some of the vineyards planted during that era survived and today are once again fueling the wineries of Amador County.

With some forty wineries in the region, there are some excellent wines being produced. Wineries such as Amador Cellars, Sobon, Turley, Helwig, Terra d’Oro (Montevina), Dillian and Renwood are just a few of the wonderful wineries producing great wines, some of which are distributed to wine sellers for your enjoyment.

Amador County wineries are focused on producing red wines including Zinfandel, Barbera, Syrah, and Petite Sirah, but you’ll also find a few whites and rosé wines being produced.

My ah-ha wine moment came years ago when I experienced an Amador County varietal that I’d heard of before my visit to Northern California. Upon learning it was a Barbera from Amador Cellars, my eyes were opened to more than just California Cab. And while finding a variety of Barberas continues to be a challenge outside of this region, you’ll “strike gold” in Amador County.

I’ll be featured a few of my favorites on Instagram (@EverWonderWine) in the coming days. But, if you are in Northern California, near Sacramento or Lake Tahoe, it’s worth a visit to Amador County, and it neighboring El Dorado County wineries. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the wines of these regions. Cheers!