Types of Wine Grapes: Barbera

Ep 45

I’m back with another grape deep dive and this time it’s Barbera! 

I first fell in love with this grape at my local wine shop and now it’s my go-to for pizza night since they pair so well together!

I just love how approachable and fruity this grape is and the fact that you can get an amazing bottle of wine for only $15!

Today, I’ll share with you the mysterious origins and scandalous past of the beloved Barbera grape in Piedmont, Italy. 

From fraudulent winemakers to its transformation in the 1980s, this grape is fascinating and was the catalyst for the more stringent control measures in winemaking that we see today. 

Learn about the vibrant flavors and food pairings that make Barbera a favorite among locals and a perfect match for your next pizza night. 

By the end of this episode I know that you will be excited to try Barbera when you are out shopping for your next bottle of wine! 

Episode Highlights:

• Mysterious origins of Barbera

• The scandal involving Barbera and how it led to changes in winemaking

• The transformation of Barbera

• Flavor and aroma profiles of Barbera

• Popular regions for Barbera

• Recommendations for food pairing with Barbera

• What temperature to serve Barbera

• What grape is used for Barbera

• Is Barbera the same as Nebbiolo

• What does Barbera taste like

Transcript

0:09

Today, I have another installment of my grape deep dive. Today, I have another installment of my grape deep dive miniseries. Today, we're gonna talk about Barbera. I first fell in love with this grape at a tasting at my local wine shop. They had one of the Italian producers from Piedmont in town, and we were tasting all of their wines. He had Barolo, Barbaresco, Dolcetto, and Barbera. It was honestly my favorite of the bunch at the time. It's super approachable and very fruity. And what made it even better, it was only $15 a bottle at this nice wine shop. What a deal. It's definitely still one of my favorite Italian wines, so I'm excited to share it with you. I'll be covering the history of the grape, details about the grape and winemaking, and, of course, letting you know where you can find this wine. Now as a reminder, I'm always to I'm always curious to hear your thoughts on the episode, so be sure to let me know what varietals you'd like to you'd like for me to cover next. So far, we've learned about Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, and now Barbera. And, of course, if you wanna learn about those wines, if this is one of your first episodes that you're listening to on the cork and fizz guide to wine, first off, hello. So glad you're here. And secondly, go check them out. I have a lot of really fun episodes, and you'll learn about all these wines then be able to give them a try. If you wanna let me know what at what varietal I should do next, be sure to message me on Instagram at Cork and Fizz, or email me, hayley@korkandfizz.com. Now let's get into Barbera. So we're gonna start off with history because you know I love wine history. Now we're gonna start it with a fun fact, actually. Barbera's origins are still unknown. Crazy. Right? Mysterious. I feel like I should have the kind of music going on after it. Barbera is often synonymous with a region in Northern Italy known as Piedmont. So many believe that the grape originated there. And more specifically, they believe it originated in the hills of Monferrato in Central Piedmont. Their evidence is a document from the 16th century in the city hall of Nizza Monferrato which mentions the growing of Vitis vinifera montiferatensis. But this just translates to the grapes growing in the hills surrounding monferato. There is no proof that this is the Barbera grape. The first reliable reference that mentioned Barbera being grown near asphy is from 17/87. Now add to this the fact that Barbera wasn't important to Piedmont until after phylloxera hit in the late 1800. So this lack of trustworthy records of Barbera in in Piedmont before 17/87 and relatively recent expansion suggest that the grape originated elsewhere. Plus, recent DNA testing shows that Barbera has little relation to any of the other grapes growing in Piedmont. So the current theory is that Barbera is a natural cross that happened in the vineyards, but it happened fairly recently, and it didn't happen in Piedmont. Because, again, it doesn't have much in common with the other grapes there, so it wouldn't be a natural cross of any of those grapes. So where then? No one is really sure. But before we get into the wine details, wanna hear about a scandal. It's a very fun episode already, isn't it? Now, first, before I share this story, know that nearly all wine these days goes through a vigorous control measures, which means, though I'm gonna tell you something very concerning, this is from the past, and there's no need to worry about this ever happening again. Okay. Now Now that's out of the way, let's talk about a time when it was not as strictly controlled. So back in 1986, a fraudulent winemaker in Italy mixed methanol into his wine with tragic results. The methanol was used to increase the alcohol content of what he considered a rather thin product. So rather than being like another normal winemaker, and using a process that we call it capitalization, which is where you add more sugar into the, like, grape juice before you make the wine. Thus, there's more sugar for the yeast to eat and more alcohol will be produced so you get, like, a more fuller bodied product. He decided, nah. We're gonna make the wine first, and then I'm gonna add methanol to it. And the wine affected was odor Barbera, legally permitted at the time for the amount of methanol, which I'm guessing is maybe a byproduct or something. And, again, this is at the time. I don't know what it is now. I'm guessing it's lower. I hope it's lower. But the legally permitted amount was 0.3%. His wines had a dose over 5.7%. 8 people died initially from these wines, and 30 were hospitalized. The initial culprits identified by police as distributor Giovanni Serivana and his son, Daniel, were soon charged with multiple accounts of manslaughter. But here's the thing, that wasn't all. 300 labels, mostly low grade, were listed as suspect, and 12 growers were arrested on charges of manslaughter, previous bodily harm, or illegal adulteration of food. Quite a lot of Italian wine was seized in France and West Germany and destroyed. After this, Denmark even enforced a ban on all Italian made drinks after discovering that a large consignment of vermouth was similarly tainted. So this was not good for Italy, if you can imagine. The Italian Italy or the Italian industry used this to tighten up its act and enforce much stricter control measures. So, again, while this is highly concerning for it happening, it is very, very, very unlikely for it to happen again because they've been so strict as response to this. So there's your fun fact for the day. Okay. Let's dig in to this grape and some more details about the wine that it makes. So in the vineyard, the grape Barbera is very productive. It ripens relatively late, so it ripens after Dolcetto, which is another grape in Piedmont, but actually before nebbiolo, which needs even more time to ripen. And it retains this really high level of acidity even when it's fully ripe. So a lot of times when grapes are growing, winemakers have to choose when they're going to harvest, and they kind of try to balance out having it ripen enough so there's enough sugar to produce, you know, the right body and alcohol level in their wine. But the more that it ripens, typically the lower the acidity level goes. So you don't want to leave it too long because then you end up with a flabby wine. Barbera retains high levels of acidity with it being fully ripe, so you don't have to worry about that. Barbera typically produces a very approachable style of red wine. It is often considered the wine of the people. It's juicy, straightforward, and delicious. It's a favorite local dinner wine. So when the people in Piedmont go out and buy wine, they typically buy one for their seller, so that's the nebbiolo, and one to drink now, which is the Barbera. And Barbera is also my go to pizza wine. It is just perfect. The best Barberas are deeply colored, fresh, and relatively soft. AKA, there's not like those harsh tannins, those things that make your mouth feel really dry, like you have cotton balls. And it has this kind of, like, round feeling. I know that sounds weird, but just, like, picture a wine with a round feeling. It's really lovely sounding to me. And it also has this bright cherry fruit flavor. They're medium to full bodied with high acidity and low tannins. They can get to be fairly high alcohol, especially when grown in warmer climates. So my favorite barberas are those that are little lower in alcohol. So rather than, like, the 14.5% or higher, I aim to find a barbera around 13% alcohol. Other flavors and aromas that you might notice include cranberry, strawberry, licorice, blackberry, dried herbs, and black pepper. Again, when you are shopping for these wines, feel free to tell the wine or tell the, wine shop owner or whoever you're talking to which flavors you would most like. There are some barberas that are more herby or not herby, herbaceous. That's the word that I want. More herbaceous with black pepper and licorice, and there are some that are more fruitful with that cranberry, strawberry, and blackberry. So be sure to note what you're looking for. Now in terms of popular regions where you will find Barbera, of course, we gotta start with the mother of all places, would be Piedmont, Italy. So remember, Barbera is pretty much synonymous with Piedmont. It is the most planted grape in the region and the 3rd most planted red grape in all of Italy. However, all that said, Barbera has always been placed in the stepsister role to nebbiolo, the more famous grape of Piedmont. Though it is the most planted grape in Piedmont, it has often been treated like a second class citizen. It's always produced in high yields. Well, not always. It is often produced in high yields. So sometimes that means that's not always a good thing because if it's produced in high yields, you're not getting as much concentrated flavor. It's also sometimes produced in lesser vineyards, and it gets the leftover oak that Nebbiolo doesn't need. So, again, kinda got that stepsister role. Luckily, that is changing, and this is thanks to a man named Giacomo Bononia. Giacomo took over his grandfather's vineyards in 1962. He traveled abroad and learned about winemaking in Burgundy and California, saw the benefit of using new French oak barrels. He saw the benefit of using new French oak barrels and also the benefit of waiting until the grape was super ripe. So he came back to Piedmont, started reducing yields in the vineyard, buying barrels, he picked his grapes later than anyone else, and he put the wine in oak barrels for aging, 50% new 50% old. Then he produced an amazing wine. So, Barbera's transformation was in 1982. It was received by many as an amazing Barbera and recognized that this grape could produce really incredible wine if you treat it right. You will find 3 subregions within Piedmont making Barbera. First, there is Barbera Diasti, DOCG. This region is a minimum of 90% Barbera grapes that must be used. The remaining can be a blend of gregnolino, or dolceto grapes. The wine must be made before the date of March 1st hold on one second. Okay. The wine must be made before the date of March 1st immediately following the harvest and must reach an alcohol content of at least 11.5%. Since 2000, it has been possible to produce Barbera dei Superiore, for which the wine must have an alcoholic strength of at least 12 and a half percent by volume and be aged for at least 14 months. That higher alcohol level, and, again, why they have a minimum alcohol level, not a max, is they're making sure that the grapes are ripe enough. They the more ripe they are, the more sugar they produce, the more alcohol will be made in the wine. The superiore versions must be aged for at least 14 months, and 6 months of which stored in oak or chestnut barrels. You'll know if a wine is Superiore if it lists 1 of the 3 sub regions on the bottle. It also usually says Superiore on it, but just in case it doesn't. You might also find nitza, n I c z a, tinella, which actually looks like what it sounds like, and Colli Olli Olli Space A s t I a n I. Those in Asti claim their wine is better than the neighboring Alba region, which I'll tell you about in a second, because they give the grapes the best growing regions, whereas, Alba tends to give those to Nebbiolo. The general style of wine here in Asti is more rotund, so, like, plump. Mineral taste and complex bouquet. Bouquet is just kind of another word for the aromatics. Bright and elegant and more age worthy. Though I'll be honest, I have a soft spot for Barbera de Alba. I don't know if it's because it's the first one I loved, but the Ospreys are also wonderful. Okay. Speaking of Alba, that's the other region, one of the other three regions we're talking about. So you have a Barbera de Alba d o c. It's a 100% Barbera grapes. There is also a Superior version here. They must be aged at least 12 months in oak barrels. The general style of wine here is gonna be a general darker and fruitier, flavors of prune and spices, fuller bodied, flowery, fuller bodied, flowery, sharp acidity, and a little dense dry structure flavor. Finally, you have Barbera di Monferato DOC. And, again, these are the 3 regions in Piedmont, Italy. This is also called Vivace, v I v a c e. Barbera is usually blended with up to 15%, fresa, crignolio, and dolchetto, and it can be slightly sparkling. Interesting. Right? I've never had one of these. I'm very curious to try it, though. The superiority needs to be aged in 12 months, 6 months in barrel. And there is a DOCG status. So that's, like, the next level up from DOC for just the superior. Again, general style of wine here is actually the most widely consumed. I don't think I've had this, though, which is kinda crazy. Maybe it's the most widely consumed in Italy. I wouldn't be surprised. Way more pronounced acidity and cherry notes, a lot lighter than the others. And, again, it can have a little bit of that sparkling. In terms of some producers to be on the lookout for, I would look for Vietti, v I e t t I, Viberti, v I b e r t I, Franco Serra, Renato Ratti, and Bresa, b r e z z a. Now you will find Barbera in other parts of Italy, so you might find it in Lombardia. This is the wine that you'll find. It's called Barbera del Otrepo Paves. This can either be something that ranges from slightly spritzy to semi sparkling. So, again, kinda crazy that these barberos are made into a sparkling wine. Or it is blended with and is part of a larger blend component in the red wine in the red wines of Franciacorta. And these versions so if it's blended with the caratina or made in the red wines of Franciacorta oh, I'm gonna say that again because I realized I said it wrong the first time name. So these, the Barbera delo Trepo Pavese, these can either be, the ones that are slightly spritzy and semi sparkling, or they can be blended with, and it's part of a larger blend component in the red wines of Francia Corta. This is gonna be more in like a Cabernet Sauvignon style for so deeper, darker, more intense. You can also find Barbera and Emilia Romana. Easy drinking, fun, playful style of wine. Other regions of the world that you might find Barbera, so the other ones that I've actually tasted, I've had some from California. There are some older vines of Barbera in the Sierra Foothills. I've also had some from, producers, Final Girl. So they have Barbera from Happy Canyon in Santa Barbara. I've also had some from Prima Materia, and these come from Lake County on the North Coast of California. You will also find Barbera in Washington, Argentina, and Australia. And Australia is actually honestly, I'm finding a lot of Italian varietals from there. I'm really excited for more Australian wine to make it to the US market so I can try a lot more of these wines. Alright. And, finally, let's talk some logistics. So let's talk food pairing, costs, aging, and decanting for this wine. So in terms of food, I have in all caps in my notes, pizza. Like, if you're gonna look for a wine to pair with your pizza, have it be a barbera. It also pairs well with pasta, roasted and spiced meats, and, honestly, it's quite food friendly. Again, it has that high acidity. A lot of red wines with high acidity, think like Pinot Noir, Gamay. Trying to think of some other ones, but those like, any red wine that has high acidity, it does really well with food. So feel free to kinda play around and see what you like with it. In terms of, serving temperature, I'd say room temp ish, so around 60 degrees, kinda depends on what your room is like. I always recommend throwing it in the fridge for, like, 20 minutes or so before you drink it. I think it'll give it, like, that perfect little amount of chill so the alcohol isn't too strong. And, honestly, the more alcohol that's in it, the more likely I would do that 20 minutes just to chill it a little bit. You could decant for a short 30 minutes or so, but it's not really one of those wines that it's necessary for. I think you only need to spend about 15 to $20, but then if you spend $30, you can be amazed in the quality of wine that you're getting. And these are meant to be drank now unless you're told otherwise. So just drink it now. Alright. Have I convinced you to grab a Barbera the next time you're out shopping for wine? I really hope so. If you enjoyed this episode of the Cork and Fizz Guide to Wine Podcast, please tell me. I I like to hear it. You know? We all feel good if we're told that they they like, that you like something that I make. So, please reach out. Find me on Instagram. Email me, haley@korkenfist.com. I would love to know. And, also, tell me what grape variety would you like me to talk about next. You can always leave a review or do a quick rating. Though, if you've done this once, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. The biggest thing you can do to help me is to share this podcast with more wine lovers in your life. Simply click the little share button. I think it looks like like a square with, like, an arrow coming out of it. That is the share button. Click it. Copy the link. Post this on Facebook. Post this on Instagram. Encourage all the wine lovers in your life to learn about Barbera. And be sure that you subscribe so you never miss an episode. I release new episodes every Wednesday. In next week's episode, you'll be getting a crash course on Burgundy, France. So remember I did French wine 101 a while ago. We learned the basics of France, or the basics of Burgundy, but you're gonna get a little more of a crash course from my friend, Alex Lopez. Alex is a widely Alex is a wildly talented wine educator, and he just recently got his MBA from Burgundy's School of Wine and Spirits Business. Like, how cool is that? And you can be guaranteed he knows what the heck he's talking about. He spent some time in Burgundy, and I'm so jealous. Thank you again for listening. And as a thank you, I'd love to share my free shopping guide, 15 wines under $15. Simply head to my website, korkandfizz.com, scroll down to the bottom, and join my mailing list. And don't forget to grab your free class pass and join my virtual wine tasting club, the Cork Crew. We dive deep into grape varieties just like I did in this episode, but we get 2 new wines every single month. It's so much fun. Hope you can join. Cheers.