More terrific Barberas to warm up the post-holiday season

a trio of great food wines

I don’t know about you, but a cold winter night always seems like a good time for Italian food.  (One might argue that there is never a night that isn’t a good time for Italian dishes, and the Voyager would offer no rebuttal.)  In any case, I decided that it was a good time to revisit the lovely Barberas from the Piedmont.  Here are three fine examples from noted producers…

Full bodied and elegant

2011 Pelissero Piani Barbera D’Alba (Piedmont, ITALY):  Fairly deep garnet.   Beautiful aromas of sweet cherries and wild flowers.  A little leather tone underneath.  Lovely balance, and great acidity to go with Vyna’s world-class Bolognese pasta.  Very rich for a Barbera; full-bodied and serious wine.  Gorgeous bottle for under $20!  A winner from the Alba region.  ***1/2 - ****

Sophistication in a glass

2010 La Spinetta Ca’ di Pian Barbarea d’Asti (Piedmont, ITALY):  Medium-dark garnet, with just a hint of maturity on the rim.  Sour cherries, faded dried flowers and hints of blueberry and ink on the nose.  Interesting notes of black pepper and beef as the wine opened up.  Long finish.  Sophisticated, but perhaps lacking a bit of body.  Still, quite lovely with stuffed peppers.  ***1/2. 

Juicy and eminently drinkable

2012 Fuso Barbera (Piedmont, ITALY):  Fairly deep plum.  Open, inviting nose with plenty of cherry, leather and orange peel aromas.  With air, some herbal notes join the band.  Juicy, sweet fruit drenches the palate, with more than enough acidity to make this a welcome match for some leftover Bolognese alá Vyna.  Superb value at $16 a bottle.   ***1/2 - ****

My love affair with Barbera has been going on for a very long time now, dating back to some very fine Sonoma releases made by Sebastiani  back in the early 1980’s, but there’s nothing like the wines from the Piedmont, the spiritual home of this fabulous grape.