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Barbera
- Red Wines
- Written by Fred Swan
- Wednesday, 23 December 2009 04:38
A red wine grape typically featuring high acidity and good color but low tannins, very old vines can produce thicker skinned fruit with more intense tannins that will produce a wine more suitable for aging. The 2nd most grown red grape in Italy, it’s flavor profile runs to black and red currant, berry fruit and sometimes black cherry. As many of the initial wine growers and wine makers in Northern California were Italian, the grape has long been a fixture in that region as well. Often used in tasty but simple bulk wine because of its high yields, it can make for a nice, more complex bottle of red with the right vines and winemaking. However, without proper oak treatment, the color will tend to fade in just a few years and, regardless of the oak, Barbera-focused wines are best consumed within two or three years of bottling.