Barbera

Barbera is a wine grape variety from Monferrato in Piemonte, Italy.

Usually produces an intense red wine with deep color, low tannins and high acid and is used in California to provide "backbone" for so-called "jug wines". Century-old vines still exist in many regional vineyards and allow production of long-aging, robust red wines with intense fruit and enhanced tannic content. In Italy the best known varietal wines made from it are Barbera d'Asti, made in Asti, and Barbera d'Alba, made in Alba, which can produce a high quality wine with some ageing potential.