Barbera is the food-friendly wine you’ll find on almost every local restaurant table in the Piedmont, Italy region.
Barbera has often played second fiddle to noble Nebbiolo, the grape used for the more prestigious Barolo and Barbaresco wines.
The vineyards here have found their sweet spot in the foothills of the Alps, perched up to 600 meters above sea level.
Barbera d’Alba must have at least 85% Barbera, but it can be blended with up to 15% juice from the Nebbiolo grape. This can help add more structure and complexity to the wine.
Barbera grapes have a dark pigment. So, the wines can have an intense ruby color. Barbera d'Alba, in particular, tends to be darker than its more elegant neighbor, Barbera d’Asti.
Barbera d’Asti hails from the larger Asti area, located more centrally within the region. It holds the DOCG classification, Italy’s highest. Barbera d’Alba has the second-highest classification as a DOC.