Barbera Wine

Barbera is an ancient grape variety with Italian origins now lost in the depths of history. But the Italians continue to love this grape and so, second only to Sangiovese, it remains the most planted red in Italy. The Barbera grape favours warmer climates but despite this is relatively high in acids. It is also low in tannins and is consistent in providing good, late ripening yields. The Barbera vines are also very resistant to most fungal diseases.

Producing deep colored, usually described as ‘ruby’, wines, Barbera grapes are able to produce a wide range of wine styles. Where aged vines exist, and these are plentiful in Italy, intense wines that require long aging times are produced. Younger Barbera vines tend to produce fresher, fruit flavoured wines. In general, however, the aroma of the Barbera variety is limited or even neutral, which makes it perfect for blending with other grapes, and so it is as a blend that Barbera is used most frequently.

When the Barbera grape is used to produce wine on its own however, it can result in one of the most food friendly of wines. This is in part because its naturally low tannins do not overpower food while the acidity in Barbera wine complements a great many foods. For example, any meal with a tomato sauce involved makes it a perfect match with Barbera!

Within Italy, the Piedmont region is where the best Barbera grapes are grown, though such areas as Lombardy and Sardinia also produce a great deal. Outside of Italy the Barbera grape variety is relatively popular in Slovenia, as well as in California and increasingly in Australia.

Barbera has been known in Italy since at least the 13^th century and as its continued popularity in Piedmont indicates, this is its place of origin, in particular the region known as Monferrato. However, like so many things Italian, Barbera has spread to the rest of the world, carried to North and South America by the many Italians who naturally wished to continue to drink their favourite wines. Also in these new places Barbera has been used as a blend, its naturally high acidity enabling it to infuse a freshness into other wines.

Barbera has been widely grown in California for many years and from there has spread to many other locations. One of these locations has been Australia. This occurred in the 1960s when the Mudgee wine region first began growing Barbera derived from the University of California. Since then, the King Valley and Mornington Peninsula regions of Victoria, and more recently McLaren Vale in South Australia, have begun to successfully produce much excellent wine from this grape variety.

Undoubtedly the first region to begin growing Barbera grapes was the Mudgee wine region of NSW. And after more than 30 years of experience the Di Lusso Estate, a boutique vineyard and winery in Mudgee, has produced a series of Barbera vintages since 2004. More well-known are the Brown Brothers, who in 2005 also created a Barbera wine. The Brown Brothers have a number of vineyards in several Victorian regions, but it is on their Heathcote vineyard in the Mt Camel range of Central Victoria that they grow their Barbera grapes. The Heathcote region is a premium red wine area and the Heathcote vineyard of the Brown Brothers is home to its best red grape varieties, including the Barbera.

While the Barbera grapes of Australia may have been derived from Californian vines, the inspiration of those who are willing to devote themselves to cultivating this great red continues to be Italian in origin. Such an inspiration is the basis of Dal Zotto Wines, founded and managed by the Dal Zotto family, and located in the King Valley wine region of northeast Victoria. Dal Zotto wines include many Italian varieties, not least of which is their Barbera grape.

Another King Valley vineyard that has successfully produced Barbera vintages is Boggy Creek Vineyard; their 2005 Barbera winning bronze medals at the Australian Small Winemakers Show and the Victorian Wine Show in 2007. The cool climate of the King Valley allows for a longer ripening period and so the production of more distinctive flavours. Barbera has been grown for well over 10 years at Boggy Creek and its rich character, enhanced by the use of French oak barrels, has proven extremely popular.

South Australia has also begun to develop Barbera vintages, in particular in the McLaren Vale region, which lies between the Adelaide Hills and the Gulf of St Vincent. Within this charming region lies Chalk Hill Wines, a family vineyard for many generations. Chalk Hill Wines has planted its Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Barbera varieties in shallow ironstone sand at the top of the hill. The purpose being to force the vines to work harder and so produce more intense flavours.

One winery experimenting with newer varieties is Massena. The winemakers of Massena have produced great wines from such traditional Barossa varieties as Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro as well as from such new varieties such as Durif, Barbera, Dolcetto, Roussanne, Saperavi and Tannat. In particular, they have produced a Barbera Dolcetto vintage by blending 52% Barbera with 48% Dolcetto. They consider these two grape varieties to be well suited to the Barossa due to their ability to ripen fully while still retaining their naturally high acid levels.

For long only used to blend with other wines, an increasing trend is to create wines using the Barbera grape only. By limiting yields and using oak barreling, it is certainly more than possible to produce a Barbera wine as flavoursome and as delightful to drink as any red wine in the world.