Barbera has always had a tough time in Piemont, being overshadowed by Nebbiolo. Increasingly now, it is gaining ground, not least thanks to the slowly awakening growing regions DOC Barbera Monferrato and DOC Colli Tortonesi Barbera, which have shown tremendous developments in quality, and which have caused quite a stir, standing next to the much more famous DOC Barbera d‘Asti and DOC Barbera d’Alba.

The area around Monferrato in the province of Alessandria. (map by Cantina Sociale Vinchio)

The star that was born poor

A total change of direction took place in the twenty years between 1975 and 1995. Although many producers as well as technical experts had for long claimed the Barberas had great potential (in Piemontese the variety is female: Lady Barbera), at least on specific terroirs, the image the public had of the wine until quite recently was of cheap jug wine. Opulent, with an intense deep colour and an accentuated acidity, it was the perfect accompaniment for a bread roll with salami or salty anchovies, but it was frowned upon at elegant tables, almost as though it belonged to a lesser class. Barbera, or rather the Barbera wines, as the grape variety is planted practically all over the Piemont region, as well as in the Oltrepò Pavese and in the region of Piacenza, were skittish foals: In order to achieve the Olympian heights of great Italian wines, they first had to be tamed. A group of producers initially laughed at as being dreamers set out to do just that. The leading figure, unfortunately deceased now, was Arturo Bersano. His visionary enthusiasm, analytical mind and generous nature accompanied the pioneer of the Renaissance of Barbera: Giacomo Bologna from Rocchetta Tanaro.

The Barbera tamers

Castello di Camino Monferrato in the mist. You can almost sense the ghosts said to still roam there to this day. (Photo Katrin Walter)

Barbera is quite an adaptable variety, it only shies away from particularly cold climatic regions, as it requires quite a bit of warmth. However, there are few locations at which it produces truly great wines. The first parcels of land to be recognised as great terroirs are some of the districts in the so-called „magic triangle“ of Barbera d’Asti, between Tanaro and Belbo. Nizza Monferrato, home of such famous producers as Bersano, Scarpa, Agliano, Costigliole, Castelnuovo Calcea and Vinchio, is one of those places at which the best entrepreneurs of the time are engaging themselves as „Barbera tamers“. And it is here, too, that success has been achieved in obtaining recognition for a home of great wines under the DOC Barbera d’Asti. The “Barbera tamers” have started to change the way in which the wine is made. In the past it was extremely rare for a wine to undergo malo-lactic fermentation, producers basically did not even know what that is. Today, this process can be controlled, and it can assist in bringing out the potential of the Barbera variety to a greater degree, as the wine is more rounded when the slightly sharp malic acid content is reduced. This development is now also supported by the introduction of barriques, which were initially rather clumsily handled. Then the tamers turned their attention to the vineyards, and realised that this would be the next front, if one wished to further improve quality. Changes in the market also forced the producers to re-think the basics. The Barbera vine is naturally a generous grower, and it was necessary to limit yields by means of rigorous pruning, and by avoiding over-fertilisation of the soil. The direction of genetic selection, as well as the training of technicians, who were still aiming for maximum productivity, also had to be changed. In addition, attempts were made to let the grapes ripen fully, as only at a high degree of ripeness will one achieve the desired balance of sugar and acidity. The great wines of Barbera rarely have an alcohol content of less than fourteen per cent alcohol by volume.

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New home for a great Barbera

Naturally, it takes decades to fully implement these trends and ideas, and to expand them to the new territories that show themselves equal to the challenge, as a result of special climatic and soil conditions. Actually it was fairly simple for Barbera d’Alba, as the producers and the territory were already adjusted to a philosophy of high quality production. The problem was, and still is, the rivalry with Nebbiolo, which occupies the best and most sunny slopes, this is of even greater importance in the Langhe region, where there is more rainfall, and where the conditions are fresher and more windy than in the „sancta sanctorum“ of Barbera d’Asti.
However, we want to focus our attention here on the “discovery” of two territories in the province of Alessandria. Although Barbera has been produced here for a long time, these regions have only become generally known recently, and now complete the list of great terroirs fort he Barbera grape, making the variety stronger and providing additional variants:
° the Monferrato Casalese region (named after the principal town, Casale Monferrato, capital of the region of the Marquis of Monferrato in the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and more recently the home of great oenological scientists such as Giuseppe Antonio Ottavi) and
° the Colli Tortonesi region (named after its principal town, Tortona, known as the city of Derthona in ancient Roman times, the gateway between the Po plains and the ocean).

Winter vineyards in the setting sun in the Tortonese region. (Photo Katrin Walter)

Whether as a straight varietal, or in blends using small amounts of other indigenous grape varieties (Freisa in Monferrato, Croatina in the Tortonese region), some of the very best Barbera wines anywhere are being produced here today. There is plenty of evidence for this, both in terms of scientific vineyard studies, as well as in the opinions of critics, and in the preferneces shown by the market. At the most recent Barbera meeting, organised in June 2006 by the local consortium, the media were enthusiastic about many of the wines produced in Monferrato and in the hills around Tortona. Recently, the „Concorso Internazionale del Barbera“ competition was held for the second time, and in the main category two wines from the Monferrato Casalese region were the winners: the gold medal was awarded to the Barbera d’Asti Superiore 2004 „Paion“ produced by the Tenuta Fiammenga in Moncalvo, while bronze went to the Barbera del Monferrato Superiore 2003 „Schiavino“ made by Ca’ San Carlo in Vignale. For the sake of completeness, the silver medal went to the Barbera d’Asti Superiore „Vigna di Meriggio“ produced by the Azienda Agricola Baretta in Fontanile, in the southern section of the Asti region.

Casale Monferrato – behind the cathedral (Photo Katrin Walter)

The Monferrato Casalese region is characterised by beautiful landscapes, hills with medieval castles as well as excellent restaurants with fine wine lists. It stretches between the Po and Tanaro rivers, between Casale Monferrato and Moncalvo. The two original regions of origin, Barbera d’Asti and Barbera del Monferrato, co-exist and overlap to some degree, as is usual in the whole province of Asti. Unfortunately, that is often the reason for a considerable amount of confusion, which is made even more confusing by the fact that the DOC Barbera del Monferrato i soften associated with young, „lively“ and slightly petillant wines in the market. Clearly, there is a tendency to confuse the name of a territory with a product characteristic or type: with the wine which, although pleasant enough with some dishes, certainly does not represent the best possible expression of the grape variety, and has no reputation at an international level. Although the DOC Barbera d’Asti, which is used for a still wine, has a somewhat better reputation, most of the producers of the Monferrato region who are dedicated to the „new Barbera“ have chosen to use the designation of origin they feel best presents them and their territory: Barbera del Monferrato. This applies also to the top-rated wines of these producers. A decision that may appear brave at first, but it clearly shows that the producers intend to further upgrade the image of Monferrato. Step by step they are succeeding in this endeavour, as there is no doubt the potential is present in this region: in Vignale, Rosignano, Cella Monte, Sala, Ottiglio, Serralunga di Crea and many other locations. The additional mention of the word „Superiore“ on the label (Barbera del Monferrato Superiore) is restricted to wines made according to even stricter regulations, and matured for a specified period before being sold. As is the case with other top-quality wines in Italy, an application has been made to have the zone classified as DOCG.

Tortona – tower of the city hall (Photo Alexala)

The Colli Tortonesi (hills of Tortona) arise to the south of the Po river, and to the west of the Scriva river, stretching to the borders of Lombardy (Oltrepò Pavese). This is a zone with an extremely complex orography , which rises from the plains to the mountains of the Apennine range, which separates the Piemont region from Liguria. This is thus an area with different altitudes, climatic zones, soil conditions and aspects. Barbera has been planted since time immemorial on the slopes of the hills at an altitude of around 150 to 350 metres above sea level, with excellent results: These are wines that combine a fresh, fruity character with remarkable body. As in the Monferrato Casalese region, Crus with exceptional prestige can be found here. Vho, Sarezzano and Monleale are just some of the most highly regarded zones.