Barbera d'Asti
Encyclopedia
Barbera d'Asti is an Italian
red wine
made from the Barbera
grape variety. It is produced in the hilly areas of the provinces of Asti
(67 municipalities) and Alexandria
(51 municipalities). Barbera d'Asti was accredited with DOC status in 1970, and DOCG status followed in 2008.http://www.viniastimonferrato.it/fileadmin/user_upload/disciplinari/DOCG_BARBERA_DASTI-D8-7-08.pdf
Under the DOCG rules, a minimum of 85% Barbera grapes must be used; the balance may be made up with either Freisa
, Grignolino
or Dolcetto
grapes.
The wine must be made before the date of 1 March immediately following the harvest, and must reach an alcohol content of 11.5 °.
Since 2000, it has been possible to produce Barbera d'Asti Superiore, for which the wine must have an alcoholic strength of at least 12.5% by volume, and be aged for at least one year, 6 months of which stored in oak or chestnut barrels
. Many superiore producers refine it in small oak barriques to obtain a rounder taste. The superiore has the following sub-zones indicated on the label: Nizza, Tinella, or Colli Astiani (Asti).
The superiore wine has a strong additional aging potential; it can often be aged from three to eight years.
, Italy
and is known from the thirteenth century. The first written proof of vinification is stored in the city hall of Nizza Monferrato
and dates back to the seventeenth century. The wine enters officially in the roll of Piedmont
ese wines in 1798, the date of the first Ampelography
made by Giuseppe Nuvolone-Pergamo, count of Scandaluzza from the Società Agraria di Torino
(Agricultural Society of Turin
).
Barbera spread rapidly in the 19th and 20th centuries, and is today considered to be Piedmont's principal red grape variety.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
red wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
made from the Barbera
Barbera
Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy . It produces good yields and is known for deep color, low tannins and high levels of acid...
grape variety. It is produced in the hilly areas of the provinces of Asti
Province of Asti
The Province of Asti is a province in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Its capital is the city of Asti. To the north west it borders on the province of Turin; to the south west it borders on the province of Cuneo. To the east it borders on the province of Alessandria, while in the south it...
(67 municipalities) and Alexandria
Province of Alessandria
The Province of Alessandria is an Italian province, with a population of some 430,000, which forms the southeastern part of the region of Piedmont. The provincial capital is the city of Alessandria....
(51 municipalities). Barbera d'Asti was accredited with DOC status in 1970, and DOCG status followed in 2008.http://www.viniastimonferrato.it/fileadmin/user_upload/disciplinari/DOCG_BARBERA_DASTI-D8-7-08.pdf
Under the DOCG rules, a minimum of 85% Barbera grapes must be used; the balance may be made up with either Freisa
Freisa
Freisa is a red Italian wine grape variety grown in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, primarily in Monferrato and in the Langhe, but also further north in the provinces of Turin and Biella. Freisa is a vigorous and productive vine whose round, blue-black grapes are harvested in early...
, Grignolino
Grignolino
Grignolino is a red Italian wine grape variety commonly grown in the Piedmont region. It makes light colored wines and rosés with very fruity aromas, strong acidity and tannins. The name Grignolino derives from the word grignole which means "many pips" in the local Piedmontese dialect of the Asti...
or Dolcetto
Dolcetto
Dolcetto is a black wine grape variety widely grown in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The Italian word dolcetto means "little sweet one", but it is not certain that the name originally carried any reference to the grape’s sugar levels: it is possible that it derives from the name of the...
grapes.
The wine must be made before the date of 1 March immediately following the harvest, and must reach an alcohol content of 11.5 °.
Since 2000, it has been possible to produce Barbera d'Asti Superiore, for which the wine must have an alcoholic strength of at least 12.5% by volume, and be aged for at least one year, 6 months of which stored in oak or chestnut barrels
Barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of vertical wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. Traditionally, the barrel was a standard size of measure referring to a set capacity or weight of a given commodity. A small barrel is called a keg.For example, a...
. Many superiore producers refine it in small oak barriques to obtain a rounder taste. The superiore has the following sub-zones indicated on the label: Nizza, Tinella, or Colli Astiani (Asti).
The superiore wine has a strong additional aging potential; it can often be aged from three to eight years.
History
The Barbera grape is believed to have originated in the hills of Monferrato in central PiedmontPiedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and is known from the thirteenth century. The first written proof of vinification is stored in the city hall of Nizza Monferrato
Nizza Monferrato
Nizza Monferrato is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about 60 km southeast of Turin and about 20 km southeast of Asti....
and dates back to the seventeenth century. The wine enters officially in the roll of Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
ese wines in 1798, the date of the first Ampelography
Ampelography
Ampelography is the field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines, Vitis spp. Traditionally this has been done by comparing the shape and colour of the vine leaves and grape berries; more recently the study of vines has been revolutionised by DNA...
made by Giuseppe Nuvolone-Pergamo, count of Scandaluzza from the Società Agraria di Torino
Società Agraria di Torino
The Società Agraria of Turin was founded on 24 May 1785, by edict of Victor Amadeus III, King of Sardinia,‘to promote for the public advantage the cultivation of lands mainly in His Majesty's felicitous dominions in accordance with rules both appropriate and in keeping with their varied natures’...
(Agricultural Society of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
).
Barbera spread rapidly in the 19th and 20th centuries, and is today considered to be Piedmont's principal red grape variety.