Barbera - wine grape variety

Barbera is the leading wine grape of Italy, grown mainly in Pied-mont. Because of mixed plant ings the area is uncertain but the annual production is of the order of half a million tonnes. It is used in wines of controlled appellation, sometimes alone and sometimes mixed with other varieties. In Argentina there are about 1000 ha of Barbera. Plantings in California increased sharply from about 1970 reaching 8600 ha in 1977 and declining to 4100 ha by 1992. Only a few small planti-ngs have been made in Australia.

Barbera is a reasonably vigorous variety although its rather slender shoots and open foliage tend to give it a sparse appearance. The leaves, which are easily damaged by wind, are of medium size, plane, slightly rough, rather deeply 5-lobed and hairy on the lower surface. The petiolar sinus is of a narrow lyre shape, often closed and sometimes with partly overlapping edges. Bunches are up to medium in size, conical to irregular in shape, sometimes winged and well filled to compact. Berries are medium, oval and intensely coloured with a heavy bloom. The long, green bunch stalks make it easy to harvest by hand and it is one of the most satisfactory varieties for mechanical harvesting.

Wines from Barbera should have good colour, tannin and acidity, and a distinctive varietal character which, being unfamiliar, may not be immediately acceptable in Australia. In Italy it is mostly used for dry red wines, but sweet red and sparkling red wines are also made.