Barbera is a red grape from Piedmont in northwest Italy. It is one of the most planted red grapes in the country, and it probably comes from the Monferrato hills. For a long time it was an everyday wine. Today many producers treat it as seriously as their best Nebbiolo.
Barbera makes deep-colored red wines with high acidity, low tannin and plenty of fruit. That mix makes it easy to drink young and very good with food. From the best sites, and with careful ageing, it can also be complex. If you already know Barolo and Chianti, Barbera is one of the best-value reds to try next in our Italian wine catalog.
What kind of wine is Barbera?
Barbera is a red wine from Piedmont in northwest Italy. It has a deep color, juicy dark-cherry fruit, high acidity and soft tannins. Most bottles are made to drink young, but oak-aged versions can age for a decade.
Is Barbera sweet or dry?
Barbera is a dry wine. Its ripe fruit can make it seem smooth and generous, but it is fermented fully dry. Its bright acidity makes it taste fresh rather than sweet.
What does Barbera taste like?
Expect sour cherry, blackberry, plum and a hint of dried herbs. Oak-aged bottles add vanilla, spice and dried-cherry notes.
What is Barbera similar to?
Its high acidity recalls Sangiovese, and its soft tannins recall Merlot or Pinot Noir. Fans of juicy, fruit-forward reds such as Zinfandel often like it too.
Is Barbera like Cabernet Sauvignon?
Not much. Barbera can be as dark as Cabernet Sauvignon, but it has much less tannin and more acidity. Cabernet drinkers should try an oak-aged Barbera d'Asti Superiore or a Nizza, which have more body.
Where does Barbera come from?
Its home is Piedmont, around Asti, Alba and the Monferrato hills. Look for Barbera d'Asti DOCG, Barbera d'Alba DOC and Nizza DOCG, the top tier.
How much does Barbera cost?
In the US, most Barbera d'Asti and Barbera d'Alba cost about $15–25. Superiore bottlings and Nizza usually sell for about $25–60.
Barbera d'Asti or Barbera d'Alba?
Both are made from the same grape. Barbera d'Alba often comes from sites near the Barolo and Barbaresco vineyards and can be a little fuller. Barbera d'Asti is the larger zone and is often brighter and more acidic. Producer style matters more than the label.
How do you pronounce Barbera?
Say "bar-BEH-rah".
Barbera is the most planted red grape in Piedmont, with far more vineyard land than Nebbiolo. It has three main zones:
Barbera likes well-drained hillsides, warm summers and cool nights. The cool nights matter most, because they keep the acidity that defines the grape.
Outside Piedmont, Barbera grows in Lombardy (mostly in the Oltrepò Pavese) and in Emilia-Romagna, with small amounts in southern Italy. California and Argentina also grow it, because it keeps its acidity in warm climates.
Barbera is the main grape in several Piedmont denominations, from everyday DOC wines to DOCGs.
Barbera d'Asti DOCG is the flagship. It covers the province of Asti and part of Alessandria. The wine must be at least 90% Barbera. The rest can be local grapes such as Freisa, Grignolino or Dolcetto. Barbera d'Asti Superiore must age at least 14 months, with at least six months in wood. It is fuller and lasts longer in the bottle.
Nizza DOCG is the top tier. It covers the best hillsides around the town of Nizza Monferrato. The wine must be 100% Barbera and age at least 18 months, with six months in oak. Nizza wines are concentrated and structured, and the best can age for ten years or more.
Barbera del Monferrato Superiore DOCG covers the wider Monferrato. It needs at least 85% Barbera and 14 months of ageing, with at least six in wood. The wines are often a little softer than Nizza.
Barbera d'Alba DOC covers the hills around Alba, in the same area as Barolo and Barbaresco.
Winemaking has changed a lot since the 1980s. Producers who once sold Barbera as simple table wine now use lower yields and careful oak ageing. See all Italian appellations in the DOCG index.
Barbera's main trait is its acidity, higher than almost any other major Italian red. It makes the wine taste fresh and mouth-watering, which is why it works so well at the table.
Young, unoaked Barbera is deep ruby to purple. It smells of sour cherry, blackberry, plum and raspberry. Tannins are soft, so the wine feels smooth rather than drying. There is often a light earthy or herbal note under the fruit.
Oak ageing, in large casks or small French barrels (barriques), adds weight. The fruit moves toward dried cherry and dark plum, and the wood adds vanilla, clove and cedar. The wine keeps its freshness. The best aged bottles, often from Nizza, develop notes of tobacco, dried flowers and earth.
Site matters too. Limestone-rich soils tend to give tighter, more precise wines, and clay gives rounder ones. Higher vineyards keep more acidity and aroma. Warmer, lower sites give riper, fuller wines.
High acidity, soft tannins and ripe fruit make Barbera one of Italy's most flexible food wines. The acidity cuts through fat, and the fruit suits savory dishes.
Barbera gives good quality for the money. Start with a plain Barbera d'Asti or Barbera d'Alba, without Superiore or a vineyard name on the label. These cost about $15–25 in the US. Drink them one to three years after the vintage, while the fruit is fresh.
Next, try a Barbera d'Asti Superiore or a Nizza DOCG, at about $25–60. These improve with two to five more years in the bottle. A vineyard name on the label (vigna or vigneto) usually means the producer's best grapes.
What to look for on the label:
For picks, see our guide to the best Barbera wines and the wider best Piedmont wines guide.
Barbera changes a lot outside Piedmont.
In Lombardy's Oltrepò Pavese, south of the Po River, Barbera is often blended with Croatina and Uva Rara, for example in Oltrepò Pavese DOC red. These wines are lighter and softer than Piedmont Barbera, and made for everyday drinking.
In Emilia-Romagna, Barbera is blended with Croatina in Gutturnio DOC, near Piacenza, and sometimes bottled on its own. The style is soft and fruity, made to drink young, and often lightly sparkling (frizzante).
In southern Italy, Barbera is a minor grape. The heat gives riper, fuller wines with less acidity.
Even within Piedmont, the range is wide. A basic Barbera del Monferrato is light and zippy, ready to drink now. A single-vineyard Nizza is dense and complex, and can age for a decade.
To explore more varieties, see the grapes index. For more Piedmont reds and beyond, read our best Italian red wines guide.