Barbera d'Asti is an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

red wine Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties - (red grapes.) The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines. The juice fro ...

made from the Barbera grape. It is produced in the hilly areas of the provinces of

Asti Asti ( , ; ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) of 74,348 inhabitants (1–1–2021) located in the Italy, Italian region of Piedmont, about east of Turin, in the plain of the Tanaro, Tanaro River. It is the capital of the province of Asti and ...

(67

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

) and

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

(51 municipalities). Barbera d'Asti was accredited with DOC status in 1970, and

DOCG The following four classification of wine, classifications of wine constitute the Italy, Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; 'designation of origin'); * ''Indicazione ...

status followed in 2008. Under the DOCG rules, a minimum of 90% 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 a minimum alcohol content of 11.5% ABV. ''Barbera d'Asti Superiore'' must have an alcoholic strength of at least 12.5% by volume, and be aged for at least 14 months, 6 months of which stored in

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

or chestnut

barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden stave (wood), staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers ...

s. 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 ten to twenty years. The Nizza DOCG was added to Asti's Barbera portfolio in 2014. The Nizza production rules require the use of 100% Barbera grapes, a maximum yield of 7 tonnes per hectare, and minimum aging of 18 months, of which 6 months must be in oak barrels. The minimum alcoholic strength is 13%, or 13.5% if produced by a single, named vineyard.PDF
Nizza DOCG Regulations, Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Asti e Monferrato, 29 October 2012

History

The Barbera grape is believed to have originated in the hills of

Montferrat Montferrat ( , ; ; , ; ) is a historical region of Piedmont, in northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Province of Alessandria, Alessandria and Province of Asti, Asti. Montferrat ...

in central

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

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 role of Piedmontese wines in 1798, the date of the first Ampelography made by Giuseppe Nuvolone-Pergamo, count of Scandaluzza from the Accademia di Agricoltura di Torino (Agricultural Society of

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

). Barbera spread rapidly in the 19th and 20th centuries, and is today considered to be Piedmont's principal red grape variety.

References

External links

Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e vini del Monferrato
{{Cuisine of Italy Italian DOCG Wines of Piedmont Province of Asti Province of Alessandria Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato

History

See also

References

External links