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Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Trio of Barbera for Summer Quaffing

Today, summer seems to be in the air. No need for the winter fleece! By the same token, I feel that with the approach of warmer weather, it's time to bring out the rosé and white wines for summer quaffing. There is one red wine that I think is drinkable in summer and that is Barbera. Barbera pairs so well with red sauce foods like pizza and spaghetti.
We have our favorites: Ratti, Vietti and Montebruno Barbera d'Asti.
The Renato Ratti Barbera d'Asti is a terrific value since it is priced at under $20.00. On their website, Ratti gives the following information for the Barbera d'Asti Battaglione. The first vintage of this wine was made in 2009 and it is made with 100% Barbera, aged in barriques and stainless steel tanks. I was interested in the label because it has a soldier on it. Apparently, Renato Ratti created the label to celebrate the heroism of the Piedmontese regiments in the XVIII Century. The color is intensely purple and the fruit flavors are a little muted but taste of black cherries with a spicy finish.
The Vietti Barbera d'Asti Trevigne is another one of our goto Barberas. I like the whimsical look of their labels but it is what is in the bottle that is a delight to the palate. This is another wine under $20.00 so again, a great value. The Vietti is somewhere in the middle between the Ratti and the Montebruno in flavor profile. Still very easy drinking with a nice balance of fruit and acidity. The wine is also made with 100% Barbera and the winemaking process starts with a pre-fermentative cold maceration, followed by an alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel for approximately 2 weeks, with frequent daily pumping over and délèstage operations. Subsequent post-fermentative maceration on the skins. After racking the wine is moved into barriques for malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged in barriques, big barrels and steel tanks for approximately 12 months.
Of the trio of Barberas, I lean toward the Braida Montebruna Barbera d'Asti as my favorite, but it is just a little bit more money than either the Ratti or the Vietti. There is a fair amount of ripe black fruit balanced by the right amount of acidity that appeals to my tastebuds in the perfect way. Made with 100% Barbera, the must spends two weeks in temperature-controlled steel tanks, where it ferments, and is then transferred to large oak barrels to age for a year.
So I'll be enjoying these Barberas with pizza during the summer months.
References:
1. Ratti Website.
2. Vietti Website.
3. Braida Website.

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