| Barbera | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
 Cluster of Barbera grapes | |
| Color of berry skin | Noir |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | (more) |
| Origin | Italy |
| Notable regions | Montferrat (Italy), California,Australia andArgentina |
| Notable wines | Nizza,Barbera d'Asti |
| VIVC number | 974 |
Barbera is a redItalian winegrape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy (afterSangiovese andMontepulciano). It produces goodyields and is known for deep color, full body, lowtannins and high levels ofacidity.[1]
Century-oldvines still exist in many regionalvineyards and allow for the production oflong-aging, robust red wines with intense fruit and enhanced tannic content. The best-known appellation is theDOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita)Barbera d'Asti in thePiedmont region: the highest-qualityNizza DOCG wines are produced within a sub-zone of the Barbera d'Asti production area.[2] When young, the wines offer a very intensearoma of fresh redcherries andblackberries. In the lightest versions notes ofcherries,raspberries andblueberries and with notes of blackberry and black cherries in wines made of more ripe grapes. Many producers employ the use of toastedoak barrels, which provides for increased complexity, aging potential, and hints ofvanilla notes. The lightest versions are generally known for flavors and aromas of fresh fruit anddried fruits, and are not recommended for cellaring. Wines with a better balance between acid and fruit, often with the addition of oak and having a high alcohol content are more capable of cellaring; these wines often result from reduced-yield viticultural methods.[3]
Barbera is believed to have originated in the hills ofMonferrato in centralPiemonte, Italy, where it has been known since the thirteenth century.[4] Documents from thecathedral ofCasale Monferrato between 1246 and 1277 detail leasing agreements of vineyard lands planted with"de bonis vitibus barbexinis" or Barbera, as it was known then. However, oneampelographer, Pierre Viala, speculates that Barbera originated in theLombardy region ofOltrepò Pavese. In the 19th and 20th centuries, waves ofItalian immigrants brought Barbera to the Americas where the vine took root inCalifornia andArgentina among other places.[1] RecentDNA evidence suggest that Barbera may be related to theFrench-Spanish vineMourvedre.[5] In 1985, the Piedmont region was rocked by a scandal involving Barbera producersillegally addingmethanol to their wines,[6] killing over 30 people and causing many more to lose their sight. The bad press and publicity saw a steady decline in Barbera sales and plantings, allowing the grape to be eclipsed by the Montepulciano grape as Italy's second most widely planted red grape variety in the late 1990s.[1]
The Barbera vine is very vigorous and capable of producing high yields if not kept in check bypruning and other methods. Excessive yields can diminish the fruit quality in the grape and accentuate Barbera's natural acidity and sharpness. In Piedmont, the vine was prized for its yields and ability toripen two weeks earlier thanNebbiolo even on vineyard sites with less than ideal exposure. This allowed the Piedmontese winemakers in regions likeAlba to give their best sites over to the more difficult-to-cultivate Nebbiolo and still produce quality wine with Barbera that could be consumed earlier while the Nebbioloages.Harvest for Barbera usually takes place in late September-early October, usually two weeks afterDolcetto has been picked. In recent times, winemakers have been experimenting with harvesting Barbera later at highersugar levels to produce heavier, more fruit-forward wines. In somevintages, these producers may even harvest their Barbera after Nebbiolo.[1]
Barbera can adapt to a wide range ofvineyard soils but tends to thrive most in less fertilecalcareous soils andclayloam.Sandy soils can help limit the vigor and yields. The grape rarely thrives in veryalkaline orsaline soils. Like many grape varieties with a long history, the Barbera vine has seenmutation and clonal variation arise with different clones of the variety found in Piedmont, Lombardy,Emilia-Romagna and theMezzogiorno. The different clones can be identified by the size and shape of their grape clusters with the smaller cluster clones producing the highest quality wine. In recent years, viticulturists have been working with clonal selection to increase Barbera's resistance to theleafroll virus.[3]
Winemakers working with Barbera have a variety of ways to deal with the grape's high acidity and moderate astringency. The most common has been through blending with varieties lacking those components and creating a softer and potentially more balanced wine as a result.[1]
In the 1970s, the FrenchenologistEmile Peynaud recommended that Barbera producers use small oak barrels forfermentation and maturation in order to add subtle oakspice flavors and limited levels ofoxygenation to soften the wine. The added oxygen would also limit thereductive quality of Barbera and the occurrence of off-odors ofhydrogen sulfide that would occur in some examples.[1] Thepolysaccharides picked up from the oak, was found to increase the richness of Barbera.[5] At the time, his recommendation met some resistance from the tradition-minded Barbera producers, but the success of the "Super Tuscans" which introduced new oak barrel treatment to Sangiovese caused many producers to reconsider. In addition to the subtle oxygenation and spice notes, oak imparts to the wineligneous wood tannins which give structure to the wine without adding as much astringent bite as the tannins derived from thephenolic compounds of the grape. This, coupled with reducedmaceration time, contributed to the production of softer wines. Lower yields and harvesting riper grapes with more fruit and sugar have been found to be a better balance for Barbera's high acidity.[1]
Northwest Italy is the viticultural home for Barbera, butItalian immigrants spread it through much of theNew World, where its acidity is valued in blended wines for the 'freshness' it imparts. Barbera is found in the northwestern part of Italy, particularly in Monferrato, and to a lesser extent further south. Nearly half of all grapevine plantings in Piedmont are Barbera. It likes the same conditions as Nebbiolo, but the latter is more profitable, fetching nearly twice the price, so is grown on the best sites.[3] The earlier-ripening Barbera is grown on the cooler lower slopes below the Nebbiolo, and other secondary locations. This explains why relatively little Barbera is grown aroundAlba, where the wines are entitled to the appellation Barbera d'Alba. Thus the best-known Barbera is theDOCG ofBarbera d'Asti. The Barbera del Monferrato DOC – which tends to be somewhatsparkling (frizzante) – is rarely exported.
Nizza (also Barbera d'Asti Superiore Nizza before 2014) is a DOCG designation whose zone of production is limited to the comuni (municipalities) of Agliano Terme, Belveglio, Bruno, Calamandrana, Castel Boglione, Castelnuovo Belbo, Castelnuovo Calcea, Castel Rocchero, Cortiglione, Incisa Scapaccino, Moasca, Mombaruzzo, Mombercelli, Nizza Monferrato, Rocchetta Palafea, San Marzano Oliveto, Vaglio Serra and Vinchio within the province of Asti.
As of 2010, there were 20,524 hectares (50,720 acres) of Barbera planted, making it the sixth most widely planted red grape variety in Italy.[7] At its highpoint in the late 20th century, there were over 50,000 hectares (120,000 acres) planted but the fallout from the "Methanol scandal" of the 1980s and the lack of a driving worldwide market caused those numbers to decline. In the Piedmont region, Barbera is widely grown in theAlba Langhe region and the Asti and Monferrato regions. While there is no officially definedClassico region, likeChianti Classico, the region of theAsti province between the towns ofNizza Monferrato,Vinchio,Castelnuovo Calcea,Agliano,Belveglio andRocchetta is considered among locals to be the "heart" of Barbera in Piedmont. In 2001, the town of Nizza was officially recognized as a sub-region within the greater Barbera d'Asti DOC. Being one of the warmest areas in Asti, Nizza has the potential to produce the ripest Barbera with sugar levels to match some of the grape's high acidity.[1] The wines of Barbera d'Asti tend to be bright in color and elegant while Barbera d'Alba tends to have a deep color with more intense, powerful fruit.[5] In the Alba region many of the best vineyard sites are dedicated to Nebbiolo with Barbera relegated to a secondary location, which limits the quality and quantities of the wines labeled with the Barbera d'Alba DOC. In the Monferrato DOC, Barbera is blended with up to 15%Freisa,Grignolino and Dolcetto and can be slightly sparkling.[3]
Since 2000, it has been possible to produce Barbera d'Asti Superiore, for which the wine must have an alcoholic strength of at least 12.5% by volume, and be aged for at least 14 months, 6 months of which stored in oak or chestnut barrels. Many superior producers refine it in small oak barriques to obtain a rounder taste. The superior has the following sub-zones indicated on the label: Nizza, Tinella, or Colli Astiani (Asti).
Outside Piedmont, Barbera is found throughout Italy, often as a component in massvino da tavola blends. In the Lombardy region, it is seen as avarietal in Oltrepò Pavese with wines that range from slightly spritzy to semi-sparklingfrizzante. Elsewhere in Lombardy, it is blended withCroatina and as part of a larger blend component in the red wines ofFranciacorta. Southeast of Piedmont, Barbera is found in Emilia-Romagna in the hills betweenPiacenza,Bologna, andParma. As in Lombardy, Barbera is often softened by blending with the lighter Croatina as it is in theVal Tidone region for the DOC wine ofGutturnio. InSardinia, the grape is used aroundCagliari in the wine known as Barbera Sarda, and inSicily, the grape is used in various blends under the namesPerricone orPignatello made nearAgrigento.[1] Barbera was an important grape in re-establishing the wine industry of theApulia andCampania regions followingWorld War II due to its high yields and easy adaption tomechanical harvesting. Today it is a permitted variety to be blended withAglianico in theDenominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) wine ofTaurasi though it is rarely used.[3]
Although Barbera plantings of over 12,500 hectares (31,000 acres) existed as of 2010 outside Italy, it is rarely found in Europe except for small plantings inGreece,Romania, and the coastal region ofPrimorska inSlovenia.
The influence of Italian immigrants has led to a scattering of Barbera plantings in South America, notably in Argentina, Brazil, andUruguay.[3] In Argentina, it is widely grown with 1,061 hectares (2,620 acres) planted as of 2010, mostly in theMendoza andSan Juan provinces, and used mostly for blending.[8]
There are some small plantings inIsrael.[1]
Barbera came toAustralia withcuttings imported from theUniversity of California, Davis in the 1960s, and as of 2010 accounted for 103 hectares (250 acres) of planting land. It has been grown for about 25 years in theMudgee region ofNew South Wales, with later plantings in a number of wine regions, including theKing Valley inVictoria as well as theMcLaren Vale and theAdelaide Hills regions inSouth Australia. John Gladstones, in his bookViticulture and Environment,[9] includes Barbera in maturity group 5, which means that it will ripen at about the same time asShiraz andMerlot, and that it should theoretically find a successful home in many Australian wine regions.[10] Australian wine producers have found some success with Barbera in Victoria. Mount Broke Wines of Broke, is one of the few in New South Wales, Australia.
South African producers have begun widespread plantings of the grape in the warm climate regions ofMalmesbury,Wellington andPaarl.[1]
In the United States, there are 4,693 hectares (11,600 acres) of plantings mostly in California, where Barbera is one of the most successful of the Piemontese grapes to be adopted in the state. It is widely planted in theCentral Valley, where it is a blend component in mass-producedjug wines. In recent years, the fashion of Italian grapes has caused more California winemakers to look into producing high-quality varietal Barbera.[1] Plantings in the cooler regions ofNapa andSonoma have produced some successful examples.[3] InWashington State, producers have been experimenting with plantings of Barbera in theRed Mountain,Walla Walla, andColumbia Valley AVAs. So far these very young vines have produced fruity wines withstrawberry notes and limited complexity and aging potential.[11] In addition to Washington, in the Umpqua AVA of Oregon plantings of Barbara is proving successful, as well as plantings in central and southern Arizona.[12]
As with many grapes that are widely planted, there is a wide range of quality and variety of Barbera wines frommedium bodied, fruity wines to more powerful, intense examples that need cellaring. Some characteristics of the variety are more consistent—namely its deepruby color, pink rim, pronounced acidity, and normally rather modest levels of tannins.[3] The acidity of Barbera makes it a valued plant in warm climate regions where acidification is usually needed. The color of Barbera makes it a value blending grape and it was historically used in the Barolo & Barberesco region to add color to the natural light Nebbiolo grape.[1]
The use of oak for fermentation or maturation can have a pronounced influence on the flavor and profile of Barbera. Barrel-influenced Barberas tend to be rounder and richer, with moreplum and spice notes. Wines made with older or more-neutral oak tend to retain more vibrantaromas and cherry notes. While some producers delay harvest in order to increase sugar levels as a balance to Barbera's acidity, over-ripeness can lead toraisiny flavors.[5]
Grape breeder Giovanni Dalmasso at theInstituto Sperimentale per la Viticoltura inConegliano in theVeneto wine region used Barbera as one of the parent vines for many of his crosses. Along with Nebbiolo di Dronero (originally thought to be Nebbiolo but later discovered to be an oldFrench wine grape known asChatus), Dalmasso crossed Barbera to produceAlbarossa,Cornarea,Nebbiera,San Michele andSoperga.[13]
Barbera is also a parent variety behindErvi (crossed withCroatina),Incrocio Terezi I (withCabernet franc),Nigra (withMerlot) andProdest (also with Merlot).[13]
Despite similarities in names, Barbera has no close genetic relationship with the Campanian wine grapeBarbera del Sannio or theSardinian wine grapeBarbera Sarda. Also,DNA analysis has shown that the white Piedmont varietyBarbera bianca is not acolor mutation of Barbera but rather its own distinct variety.[13]
Barbera is known under a variety of localsynonyms throughout Italy and worldwide. These include Barber a Raspo, Barbera a Peduncolo, Barbera Amaro, Barbera Crna, Barbera Forte, Barbera Mercantile, Barbera Nera, Barbera Nostrana, Barbera Riccia, Barbera Rissa, Barbera Rosa, Barbera Vera, Barberone, Barbexinis, Besgano, Cosses Barbusen, Gaietto, Lombardesca, Perricone, Pignatello and Ughetta.[14]
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