Collection: Barbera

Barbera is a dark grape variety with Italian roots. It originated in the Monferrato area of Piemonte near Alessandria, where it has been documented since the 1600s, and today it is one of Italy's most widespread native grapes and the country's third most planted red wine grape. Although Piemonte is the grape's heartland, where it does particularly well around Alba, Asti and Alessandria, you will find Barbera in nearly every part of Italy. Other important growing areas include Lombardia (Oltrepò Pavese), Emilia-Romagna (among others Colli Piacentini and Colli di Parma) as well as Sardinia.

It is a powerful and drought-tolerant grape with medium-to-large, pyramid-shaped bunches and very dark blue berries. It is productive and can give large yields without losing quality, but it is at the same time sensitive to spring frost. Barbera ripens late, typically at the end of September or the beginning of October. Historically the grape was used as a blending grape in Nebbiolo-based wines, where it added both colour and acidity.

Barbera produces dry red wines in several styles. In the lighter and more fruit-driven versions, such as Barbera d'Asti and Barbera del Monferrato, you encounter a marked acidity and fresher, sharper tannins. In Barbera d'Alba the grape shows a bigger, richer and more velvety side. It is precisely this range that makes Barbera so versatile at the table, from everyday pasta to more substantial dishes.

At Copenhagen Wine our Barbera comes first and foremost from Italy, with the centre of gravity in Piemonte, where the grape belongs. We also carry Barbera from Toscana, so you can experience how the grape unfolds outside its core area. If you want to understand Barbera, it can be rewarding to taste a fresh, tangy version from Monferrato or Asti against a softer Barbera d'Alba and sense how differently the same grape can express itself depending on place and style.