Barbera – Nebbiolo are the two marquee red wine grapes of northwest Italy, and are often blended together in Piedmont to create modern wines for the international palate. Nebbiolo, the forceful and noble grape of Barolo and Barbaresco fame, is considerably softened by the addition of Barbera and the resulting blend is much more approachable in its youth. Barbera adds cherry flavors to Nebbiolo’s distinctive strawberry, and the high acidity of both ensure the wine is fresh and rarely flabby.

Depending on the proportions of the blend, Barbera – Nebbiolo wines may be more fruit- or herb-focused. Nebbiolo’s aromas of tar and roses complement Barbera’s fruit profile and together they form a harmonious blend of structure and fragrance. In warmer environments, both varieties can take on more stewed-fruit flavors and the wine may resemble something of a baked red-fruit pie on the palate.

In the vineyard, Barbera is much more forgiving in terms of where it is grown. For this reason it is typically a less-expensive grape and often makes up the bulk of the blend. Barbera – Nebbiolo wines hit a range of different quality levels and price points, ranging from inexpensive table wines to prestige cuvees.

Nebbiolo typically performs poorly outside of Piedmont and is not planted widely around the world, so the blend is limited in terms of geography. That said, a select few international producers are also experimenting with these two grapes in the United States and Australia