Barbera Sarda is a red

Italian wine Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted fo ...

grape variety This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...

that is grown on the island of

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

where it often used to add

acidity In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a ...

to blends. Despite the similarities in their names, there is no known close genetic relationship between the Sardinian Barbera and the notable Piedmontese wine grape variety

Barbera Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy (after Sangiovese and Montepulciano). It produces good yields and is known for deep color, full body, low tannins and high level ...

. Nor does there seem to be any close relationship with other grapes names Barbera, such as Barbera bianca and Barbera del Sannio.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pgs 88-89 Allen Lane 2012

History

Until the late 20th and early 21st century, Barbera Sarda was thought by wine growers to be a local clone of the Piedmont wine grape Barbera with some ampelographers suggesting that it could also be related to

Carignan Carignan (also known as Mazuelo, Bovale Grande, Cariñena, Carinyena, Samsó, Carignane, and Carignano) is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Mediterra ...

, known in parts of Italy as Mazuelo. However, DNA analysis has shown that Barbera Sarda is a distinct variety with no close genetic relationship with either grapes or to any of the many other grapes that are various known as Barbera. Some ampelographers still believe that the grape could potentially be an offspring of the Piedmontese Barbera even though, as of 2012, there has been no DNA evidence to support that theory.

Viticulture

Barbera Sarda is a late ripening grape variety that maintains high levels of acidity even when it is harvested late in the growing season.

Wine regions

Today, Barbera Sarda is found almost exclusively on the island of Sardinia where it is a recommended grape variety for wine production in the provinces of Cagliari,

Nuoro Nuoro ( or less correctly ; sc, Nùgoro ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in central-eastern Sardinia, Italy, situated on the slopes of the Monte Ortobene. It is the capital of the province of Nuoro. With a population of 36,347 (2011), ...

Oristano Oristano (; sc, Aristanis ) is an Italian city and ''comune'', and capital of the Province of Oristano in the central-western part of the island of Sardinia. It is located on the northern part of the Campidano plain. It was established as the pr ...

and Sassari. While the grape can be made as a

varietal A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...

, it is most often used in blends where the grapes naturally high acidity can add balance to the wines.

Synonyms

As of 2014, the

Vitis International Variety Catalogue The Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) is a database of various species and varieties/cultivars of grapevine, the genus ''Vitis''. VIVC is administered by the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding (''Institut für Rebenzüchtung Gei ...

(VIVC) does not recognize any official synonyms for Barbera Sarda.

(VIVC)
Barbera del Sannio
' Accessed: April 14th, 2014

References

{{reflist Red wine grape varieties