Barbera

• Color: Red (Purple-Skinned)
• Grape Parentage: unknown
• Place of Origin: Contracts preserved in Monferrato date the planting of de bonis vitibus berbexinis to the 13th century, although this may actually refer to another grape (Berbesino, a synonym for Grignolino), and Barbera may have simply been born as a natural vineyard crossing in the region, perhaps as late as the 18th century.  Legend suggests that Lombards introduced the grape to Piemonte as early as the 7th century.
• Origin of Grape Name: Possibly “Vinum Barberis”, a medieval fermented beverage
• Major Countries of Production:
  • Italy: 21,275 ha (2010, Il Corriere Vinicolo)
  • USA
    • California: 6,936 total acres (2010, USDA/CA Dept. of Agriculture)
• Synonyms: 
  • Many of Barbera’s “synonyms” are simply geographical designations, such as Barbera Sarda (Sardegna) or Barbera del Monferrato
  • Note: DNA profiling has proven that Barbera is not Sicily’s Perricone, as has been suggested.
• Viticultural Characteristics: Mid-Ripening, Susceptible to Downy Mildew and Pierce’s Disease, High Vigor
• Preferred Soil Type: Calcareous soils and sandy/clay loams
• Common Blending Partners: Croatina

Typical Descriptors and Structure for Piemonte Barbera

• Visual: Purple with Blue Tones, Moderate Minus to Moderate Plus Concentration
• Aromas/Flavors: Moderate Plus Intensity
  • Fruit: Tangy/Sour Cherry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Dried Cherry
  • Floral: Purple Flowers, Lavender
  • Other: Dried Herbs, Tea Leaf, Slight Bergamot Oil, Cured Meat/Prosciutto
  • Oak: Large Neutral Casks (modern examples may incorporate new French barrique)

Structure: Dry, Moderate to Moderate Plus Body, Diminished Tannin, High Acidity, Elevated to High Alcohol