BARBERA D'ASTI

Italy's red Barbera grape delivers fabulous food-friendly wines

It is the tannin presence that sets Barbera apart from its Piemonte rival, with the tannins high in Nebbiolo and low in Barbera.

Barbera from Nizza is a ruby red wine that is intensely aromatic, distinctive and very exciting. The wines from this region are ones to watch, worthy of exploration before the hype moves the prices. There is a mandatory 18 months of aging, with a minimum of six months in barrel and a minimum of 13% ABV (alcohol by volume).

Barbera-based wines are particularly food friendly, coming as they do from a region full of delicious winter culinary treats. Chestnut flour pancakes stuffed with Porcini mushrooms are an amazing match, as is the Italian classic Vitello Tonnato, wafer-thin sliced veal with a rich tuna mayonnaise and crunchy fried capers.