A major part of our focus here on the Amistà blog will be the grape variety Barbera.
Barbera is a red grape that is planted all over Italy. It’s the second-most widely grown grape variety in the country, surpassed only by Sangiovese, which is also grown throughout Italy.
But the place where we grow Barbera — in the commune of Nizza Monferrato in the heart of the Italian region of Piedmont — is the spiritual homeland of Barbera.
Yes, Barbera is also famously grown in the Barolo and Barbaresco appellations where winermakers use it as a “second grape variety.” But it is Nizza Monferrato and the appellation Nizza DOCG (which literally surrounds the commune of Nizza Monferrato) where the grape finds its greatest expression.
We’ll be writing extensively about Nizza Monferrato, its history, its culture, and its past, present, and future.
We’ll also be sharing notes about how Barbera is grown and how it is transformed into wine.
You can also look out for notes on what foods to pair Barbera with, including traditional, creative, and international pairings.
Lastly, we’ll be posting about Barbera and its cultural legacy. Today, Barbera is considered one of Italy’s best grape varieties and one of Piedmont’s most important. But in another era, long before Barolo and Barbaresco were even on anyone’s radar, Barbera was considered the quintessential Italian red grape variety. One of Italy’s most famous 19th-century poets even wrote a poem about it! That’s how important it was — and is — in Italian culture.
If you haven’t figured it out already, we’re a little bit “Barbera crazy” here at the Amistà blog! It’s our passion and our obsession and we are on a mission to share our love for Barbera with the world.
Stay tuned for great content on Barbera, what makes it unique, where and how it’s grown, how it’s vinified, and why we love it so much. Thanks for being here!