Sometimes I think Barbera gets lost in the mix of great Piemonte bar-words, most notably Barolo and Barbaresco. While the latter two are geographical zones that produce complex, age-worthy reds from the Nebbiolo variety, Barbera (Bar-BEAR-uh) is a grape that yields some of Piemonte’s most luscious and charming red wines—wines which the locals probably drink more of than anything else. There is no better time to revisit Barbera than now, because we rarely have all three of our main bottlings in stock. They span a wide range of expressions, showing that while Barbera is best when it is kept simple and pure, it still captures differences in terroir very well. If you feel like Goldilocks, curious to find out which Barbera suits you best of these three, keep reading!
     Let’s start with Cantine Valpane’s Barbera del Monferrato “Perlydia.” A zone predominantly focused on Barbera, Monferrato feels like a world away from the constellation of hillside towns in Barolo and Barbaresco. Nothing illustrates this different microclimate better than the palm trees you pass as you walk through Cantine Valpane’s garden. The air is warmer than in the Langhe, and the terrain gentler, yielding a deep and velvety Barbera with notes of black cherries and a certain woodsiness.
     Alessandro and Gian Natale Fantino farm Barbera an hour or so to the southwest of Valpane, in the Langhe. Quintessential Piemonte traditionalists, Sandro and Gianni seek to make Barbera that’s all about fruit-forward purity and exuberance. While their noble terroir certainly shines through in the Fantinos’ rendition, the brothers age it in stainless steel for a year and a half to preserve as much of the light-hearted spirit and fresh fruit as possible. Brimming with notes of red berries and blood orange, this Barbera is possibly the most versatile of the bunch. It will be one of the first bottles I reach for this fall as I make pots of ragù, mushroom risotto, and Georgeanne Brennan’s pot roast braised in Barbera.
     Finally, in Serralunga d’Alba, you’ll find an example that sits somewhere between the Valpane and Fantino. From an exceptional terroir just above his Barolo vines, Guido Porro’s Barbera shows a touch of Serralunga’s trademark heft and structure while still embodying a vibrant, high-toned, and joyous rosso, replete with pretty notes of brambly fruit, licorice, and stones.
     I don’t want to overstate the differences in these bottles—Barbera’s fundamental charm and pleasure shine through in all three. But if you want to delve deeper into Piemonte’s most extroverted grape, we’re also offering a sampler filled with two of each bottle.