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Barbera Wine for Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to Barbera
There's so much to discover in the classic red wine scene, and a bottle of Barbera is a good place to start getting to know an ancient red grape from Italy. Its origins can be traced back to 1246 church records indicating where land was leased to grow Barbera in Monferrato. Count Giuseppe Nuvolone-Pergamo of Scandaluzzo wrote about it in an official document in 1798. He was a director of the Turin Agrarian Society, and he was the first to document a list of Piedmont's wine grape varieties.
Barbera was loved even back then as soldiers drank it to gain courage in battle. The grape works well in Piedmont because the soil there is calcareous. This results in lower yields which in turn raise the sugar in the grape and balance its acidity. The grape is a deep violet and gives the wine a blackish hue. The hard-working grape is mostly used to blend or as a varietal. It's often blended with a wine that has lower acidity to give a balanced flavor.
Winemakers do a couple of tricks to reduce the acidity of Barbera, like harvesting during the autumn when the grapes are ripe and fermenting it in oak barrels to give it a soft oak flavor. The Barbera has high acidity and a medium-to-full body with a berry taste. The ABV of the Barbera ranges from 13-15%, and it is quite a dry wine.
About Barbera
A true Italian classic, the Barbera wine originated in the Piedmont region of the country, and it continues to be one of the most cultivated grapes there. It is also grown in other regions like Emilia-Romagna, Puglia, Sicily, Sardinia, and Campania. It's the third-most cultivated grape in the country after Montepulciano and Sangiovese.
The Barbera grape has a genuine cherry flavor which changes depending on the aging process. If it's a young wine, the cherry flavor is lively, and if it's aged in a barrel for some years, the cherry flavor turns a bit sourer and has a hint of strawberry.
The food pairings for the Barbera are like most red wines, which work well with rich and hearty foods like aged cheeses, red meat, salamis, and rich soups. You can also pair it with similar foods that evoke Barbera's flavors, such as cherry pie or cinnamon desserts.
Types of Barbera
There are many types of Barbera in Italy, and they vary based on the areas that grow the grapes and make wine. The following are just some of the many wines that are made with the Barbera grapes. The Barbera of Bologna and Parma is well known and includes names like Nabucco from Monte Delle Vigne and the C.B. Barbera Pro Vino from the winemaker Orsi-Vigneto San Vito. Nearby in the Piacentini hills, the wine Gutturnio has a lively, sparkling taste.
In the province of Pavia, you can find the Sangue di Guida and Buttafuoco wines, while in the Alba area you can try Fratelli Cavallotto's wine Barbera d'Alba Vigna del Cuculo. In Asti, you'll find La Marescialla from Agostino Pavia and Cascina Castelet's Litina. The Barbera del Monferrato is a light wine with cherry flavors from the birthplace of the Barbera.
Following Italian immigration throughout history, the Barbera traveled to other areas as well. It is also grown in Argentina, Australia, South Africa, and California. It's not a fussy grape, so it has adapted very well to the different climates and environments that it has faced. Thanks to the Barbera, these countries have been able to produce high-quality wines.
Tips to enjoy Barbera
If you're thinking of enjoying a nice glass of the classic Italian red wine that is Barbera, you can head to the Instacart app and save some time by not having to head to the grocery store. An Instacart shopper will do the shopping for you and deliver your order right to your door, with same-day delivery when possible.
Just open the Instacart app and start browsing through your favorite Barbera wines, add them to the cart, complete your purchase, and relax while an Instacart shopper heads to the store. This way, you can save some time and money by continuing your day without driving to the store, so you can think about how to enjoy your Barbera bottle of wine.
Barbera Near Me
Buy your favorite Barbera online with Instacart. Order Barbera from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.
FAQs about Barbera
The old Barbera grown in Italy has a longer maceration with less barrel maturation, creating a more acidic and fresh taste. Simultaneously, the new method allows the wine to mature longer in oak barrels, giving it a more full-bodied flavor.
Barbera is best enjoyed when the bottle is around 2-4 years old.