Barbera is the unsung hero of Italy’s Piedmont, providing some of the best pasta and pizza wines you’ll find. It’s Piedmont’s wine workhorse, more than pulling its weight when it comes to food pairings.
Unlike Nebbiolo, the star variety of the region in northwest Italy and the grape of the famously age-worthy wines of Barolo and Barbaresco, you can drink Barbera within a year or two of bottling. That’s because it’s more softly tannic, but it’s similarly high in acidity, which makes it such a great food partner.
And some Barberas soar well beyond “workhorse” status, as I was reminded in my tastings of wines from the two main appellations, Barbera d’Asti and Barbera d’Alba. They take their name from Alba and Asti, the principal wine towns in Piedmont, with Asti the larger and Alba perhaps slightly more famous in that it’s also where Barolo and Barbaresco are produced.
Barbera d’Alba tends to be a bit deeper in color and fuller in taste than Barbera d’Asti, but I won’t say that one is better than the other; there are many first-rate examples of both.
The wines below offer a range of expressions, from relatively simple, unoaked quaffing wines at under $20, to more complex Barberas with oak aging that go well beyond “pizza wines” and will pair well with roasts and grilled meats.
After tasting these wines, I almost forgot that Barbera is the “other” wine of Piedmont. With the quality of the wine soaring in the last couple of decades, Barbera is now a well-deserved co-star of the region.
Here are 12 of the best Barberas from Italy’s Piedmont:
Damilano Barbera d’Asti 2022
The label says this wine’s ABV is 15.5 percent, often a red flag for my usually high-alcohol-averse palate, but in this case it’s hardly noticeable. An attractive blend of red and dark fruits is enhanced by earth notes, a steely minerality, and a touch of wet leather. An impressive wine at a bargain price.
Price: $17
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Marchesi di Grési Barbera d’Asti 2022
Mouth-puckering acidity makes this wine a natural for tomato-based sauces. Sour cherry, black cherry, and blackberry fruit are punctuated by floral and herbal accents and a touch of vanilla.
Price: $18
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Cantina del Lupo Barbera d’Asti 2022
Concentrated aromas and flavors of raspberry, blueberry, and sour cherry fill the nose. The bright fruit is punctuated by flinty minerality and hints of dried herbs and baking spices as the wine opens up.
Price: $19
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Paolo Conterno Barbera d’Asti ‘Bricco’ 2021
Another excellent Barbera d’Asti, this one shows aromas and flavors of dried cranberries and red cherries and secondary notes of brown sugar, leather, and braised meat. A slight steminess makes it all the more interesting. Once again, it was a real surprise when I found it listed for as low as $17.
Price: $17
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De Forville Barbera d’Alba 2023
This value wine punches above its modest price tag. It’s young and takes a little while to fully reveal itself, but as it does it becomes delicious, with blueberry, plum, and blackberry flavors punctuated by hints of powdered cinnamon, cookie dough, and minerals.
Price: $14
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Barale Fratelli ‘Castlé’ Barbera d’Alba Superiore 2022
Ripe, concentrated dark fruit notes, especially cassis, with hints of cinnamon and pencil shavings. The “Superiore” designation means the wine has received at least four months of aging in oak barrels, and the wood here is integrated seamlessly. The grapes are from an organic vineyard in Barolo.
Price: $24
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Massolino Barbera d’Alba 2022
The striking acidity that comes across when first opened settles down as this wine breathes in the bottle and glass. It morphs into an elegant Barbera with black and red cherry notes. The vineyards are in limestone-rich soils, and the wine is fermented and matured in stainless steel.
Price: $28
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Elvio Cogno Bricco dei Merli Barbera d’Alba 2022
This is a beautifully balanced wine with a light tannic structure that frames dark berry, raspberry, and plum flavors with touches of baking spices, vanilla, and leather from aging for 12 months in Slavonian oak barrels.
Price: $40
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Rosavica Benotti Barbera d’Alba 2022
This beautifully balanced wine shows concentrated fruit notes of cassis, blackberry, and pomegranate with hints of leather and smoke, all of it framed by a medium tannic structure. The grapes are grown organically in largely sandy soils in the Roero district of Alba. The wine is fermented with native yeasts and is aged for four months in concrete tanks. Fruit purity is the hallmark here.
Price: $28
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Cavallotto Barbera d’Alba Superiore ‘Vigna Cuculo’ 2020
If you like oak-driven wines, there’s plenty of it in this Barbera d’Alba Superiore. Fifteen to 18 months of aging in Slavonian oak barrels (the preferred oak in Piedmont) frames the plum and sweet dark berry flavors with a touch of cookie dough. Dried herb and mineral notes complete the picture.
Price: $40
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Castello di Neive Barbera d’Alba Superiore 2021
Another big Barbera meant for heartier dishes, this one has a cedar note from aging in oak barrels for one year, framing the concentrated blackberry and cassis flavors. Bright acidity keeps it from being ponderous. It’s a good example of the variety’s ability to be turned into what some would call “more serious” wines without the need for extended aging.
Price: $23
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Fratelli Seghesio Barbera d’Alba 2022
Stony minerality is the hallmark of this exciting Barbera d’Alba, framing its ripe black cherry and blackberry notes and extending into the long finish. Hints of leather and dried herbs accent the concentrated fruit. Aged in stainless steel without oak exposure, it’s a relatively big wine and a stunning, under-$20 value.
Price: $17
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