- Last updated on November 18, 2022
Our Best Barbera Selection
- Best Overall: G.D. Vajra Barbera d'Alba Superiore 2017
- Best Value: Ricossa Barbera Appassimento
- Best under $20: Gianfranco Alessandria Barbera d'Alba 2019
- Best Barbera Asti DOCG: Braida Montebruna Barbera d'Asti 2018
- Best Barbera del Monferrato DOC: Gaudio - Bricco Mondalino Barbera del Monferrato Superiore
- Best Nizza DOCG: Prunotto Costamiòle Barbera d'Asti Nizza Superiore
- Best California: Oak Farm Barbera 2016
- Best under $30: Bruno Giacosa Barbera d’Alba
- Best under $100: Braida Bricco dell'Uccellone Barbera d'Asti
- Best Luxury: Braida Ai Suma Barbera d'Asti 2016
10 Best Barbera Reviewed
Find below the reviews for our wine selection of the 10 Best Barbera so that you have all the info you need to pick what’s best for you.
Vivino’s tips: Good value for money. Similar wines usually cost 42% more.
Region: Italy, Piemonte
Tasting notes: Red Fruit, Hay, Licorice.
Red color with violet hues. A beautiful array of aromas on the nose where red fruits, hay, and licorice coalesce into mineral notes.
This Barbera Superiore has a richness that starts from the nose and accompanies you throughout the tasting, like a Wagner crescendo.
Region: Italy, Piemonte
Tasting notes: Berries, Marmalade, Violets, Vanilla, Fig.
Deep red with purple tones in the beginning, changing to garnet red throughout its aging process.
The bouquet brings out notes of berries, marmalade, violets, vanilla, fig and almonds, with slight smoky hues.
Dry, elegant, harmonious and full-bodied with typical acidic notes during its juvenile stage.
Becomes more round and complex over the years obtaining a soft finish.
Ruby red color, more or less. notes of red fruits like cherry, and blackberry.
Bodied, velvety, right acidity, typical of the grape. For the price, it’s a bargain. Be quick!
Violet ruby red in color. Well balanced and fragrant.
Intense mouth feel, full-bodied and harmonious, with a long lasting finish.
Fruity, unmistakable cherry and vanilla.
It shows a full-bodied taste in the whole mouth, smoothness on the tongue, and like a velvet cherry on the palate.
Its structure wraps the mouth and leaves cherry taste for long time.
Region: Italy, Piemonte
Tasting notes: Plum, Cherry, Violet, Cinnamon, Cocoa.
Garnet color and deep ruby with purple reflections and blacks.
Rich scent of fruit, especially plum and cherry with hints of violets, cinnamon, cocoa and leather.
In the mouth is enveloping, dense, rich in tannins soft but well structured.
Region: United States, California
Tasting notes: Cherry, Ripe Plum, Pomegranate, Spices.
This Barbera is a garnet red color with inviting aromas of cherry, hibiscus tea, pomegranate, and mixed spices.
Medium bodied and flavors of ripe plum. This wine’s silky mid palate brightens up on the finish with its lively acidity and soft tannins.
Region: Italy, Piemonte
Tasting notes: Sour Cherry, Wild Berry, Vanilla, Licorice.
Intense ruby red color with violet reflections. Intense winey bouquet recalling sour cherry and spices. Lively, generous, and full flavor.
Region: Italy, Piemonte
Tasting notes: Red Berries, Blackberry, Mint, Vanilla
Intense ruby red with purple hues. Notes of red berries, mint and vanilla.
The bouquet is rich, aromatic and complex with a remarkable intensity and multilayered concentration.
Vivino’s tips: Featured in Vivino’s 2020 Wine Style Awards: Italian Barbera
Region: Italy, Piemonte
Tasting notes: Berries, Blackberry, Vanilla, Licorice, Cocoa.
Ruby red color with garnet. Bouquet, rich and complex, with many hints of berries and background notes of vanilla, licorice and cocoa.
Full, powerful, great structure but at the same time elegant and sensual, harmonious and very persistent.
Accompanies meat dishes, roasts, also with sauces, seasoned cheeses.
Buying Guide to Barbera
It’s not just about which Barbera you should buy.
There are other important aspects like how to serve it, food pairings, and much more.
The below buying guide will give you a detailed overview of all these topics.
Barbera Overview
Here you find an overview of where Barbera is most commonly planted.
Grape
Barbera
ABV
13.5%–15%
Main Regions
Italy: Piemonte
Other Regions
Argentina
Australia
Italy: Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna
USA: California
Grape
Barbera
ABV
13.5%–15%
Main Regions
Italy: Piemonte
Other Regions
Argentina
Australia
Italy: Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna
USA: California
Barbera Taste Profile
These are some of the most common aromas and flavors of Barbera.
Color
Deep Ruby
Nose
Red Cherry
Strawberry
Blackberries
Violet
Palate
Red Fruit, Plum
Vanilla
Dry
High Acidity
High Tannins
Light to Medium-Full Body
Color
Deep Ruby
Nose
Red Cherry
Strawberry
Blackberries
Violet
Palate
Red Fruit
Plum
Vanilla
Dry
High Acidity
High Tannins
Light to Medium-Full Body
Barbera Food Pairing
These are some food pairing suggestions for Barbera.
Appetizer
Porcini Mushroom,
Truffle Risotto/Tajarin,
Vitello Tonnato
Meat
Battuta di Fassona (Meat Tartare),
Duck,
Game,
Rabbit
Fish
-
Cheese
Blue Cheese (Gorgonzola)
Appetizer
Porcini Mushroom,
Truffle Risotto/Tajarin,
Vitello Tonnato
Meat
Battuta di Fassona (Meat Tartare),
Duck,
Game,
Rabbit
Fish
-
Cheese
Blue Cheese (Gorgonzola)
Serve and Store Barbera
Here you find some useful tips on how to serve and store Barbera.
Decant
30 mins
Glass
Aroma Collector
Serve at
59 - 64 °F
15 - 18 °C
Store for
Up to 4 years
Up to 10 years finest bottles only
Decant
30 mins
Glass
Aroma Collector
Serve at
59 - 64 °F
15 - 18 °C
Store for
Up to 4 years
Up to 10 years finest bottles only
Barbera Styles
There are at least six Barbera styles you should know about. Five of these are from Piemonte, Italy and one is from the USA.
Here is a quick overview for some regions and what to expect:
Barbera d’Asti DOCG tends to be elegant and bright in color
Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOCG as to be at least 12.5% ABV and should age at least 12 months before release.
Nizza DOCG produces the ripest Barbera
Barbera del Monferrato DOC is usually lighter in body and has light bubbles, i.e. frizzante in Italian.
Barbera d’Alba DOC usually has more intense fruit flavors and ages a little longer than Barbera before entering the market.
Barbera from California has more pronounced oaked flavors like jam, vanilla, and spice.
Our Verdict
What to do next?
Read our wine tasting guide to enhance your tasting experience and taste like the pro!
Alternatively, why don’t you check out our guides on Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon vs Merlot, or the other red wines?
FAQ
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about Barbera.
What does Barbera mean?
Most studies speculate that the name Barbera comes from the Latin “Barbarus” which means foreigner in English.
This seems to be linked to the fact that historically Piemonte was a borderland, used as a gateway for the foreigner populations.
What is Barbera history?
The common assumption is that Barbera originated in the thirteenth century in Monferrato, Piemonte region in Italy.
This is backed by a leasing agreement of the land dated mid-1200.
Barbera is today the third most-planted variety in Italy.
Where does Barbera grow best?
When is the perfect time to drink Barbera?
Barbera in his light body and frizzante version, i.e. Barbera del Monferrato DOC, is an everyday wine.
If you opt for the fuller body and more complex styles is a great choice for rich fat dishes and red meats dinner.
Is Barbera sweet?
Barbera is not sweet. It is a dry wine which means it contains less than 15 g/L, or sugar per liter.
Learn more about wine sweetness level here.
What does the acronym DOC and DOCG mean?
DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata. It’s one of the highest classification in Italy.
DOCG stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. It’s the highest classification in Italy.
Every DOCG wine is tested before bottling by a committee of licensed judges which guarantee the quality of the wine.
To obtain DOC winemakers need to follow rigorous protocols for harvesting, cultivation, and production.
Other common classifications are DO and IGT.[1]
What’s Barbera's typical price range?
Barbera is an affordable wine you can find a good bottle below $20.
If you are after an amazing bottle, like Bricco dell’Uccellona from Braida, be prepared to pay up to $80.
There’ll be room for luxury bottles here as well over $100+
