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After the smoking success of the 2022, we were thrilled to secure another small allocation and bring you the highly anticipated 2023 vintage. We returned to our friends at one of Piedmont's most legendary estates for this bottling. They continue to treat this Barbera with the exact same reverence and meticulous care as their top-tier Barolos—and it absolutely shows in the glass. Simply put, the wine is fantastic. The 2023 brings incredible energy and vibrancy, pouring a deep ruby and offering gorgeous aromatics of dark cherry, ripe blackberry, and a dusting of sweet spice. It is lush and velvety on the palate, yet perfectly lifted by that classic, mouth-watering Barbera acidity that makes it so incredibly food-friendly. It’s another rare opportunity to drink blue-chip pedigree juice at a phenomenal, everyday price.

The name "Sfera" speaks to the wine's shape—round, pure, and unbroken by heavy oak. This is a wine of incredible, crunchy energy. It is intensely aromatic, bursting with wild blackberry, dark cherry, and a streak of violet. The acidity is bright and motivating, making it an incredibly versatile, vibrant red that you will want to reach for every night of the week.

The 2023 Nizza Cipressi is packed with crème de cassis, blackberry jam, licorice, cloves and menthol. This overt, flamboyant Barbera packs a serious punch. Plush contours wrap around the heady, substantial finish. (AG)

This has a spicy and chocolatey nose with dark fruit and hints of walnuts and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, broad and well shaped on the palate, with compact, velvety tannins. Good concentration and length. Drink or hold. (AS)

We've never welcomed a Barbera to our Best In Show selection before – and pow! Here it is. Fittingly it's a Nizza wine, this DOCG having come into being in 2014 to showcase a Barbera-only subzone formerly included in DOCG Barbera d'Asti Superiore and centred around the town of Nizza Monferrato. It's not a shy wine, and it left our judges excited: powerful black fruits with orange and blueberry scents layered into spicy, creamy oak. On the palate it's rich, deep and heady, with more orange and black fruit partnered with voluptuous tannins from both skins and oak. It has all the athleticism of the variety – but if you're one of those who have found Barbera's acidity to be almost too aggressive and attacking in the past, this wine may reassure; it's balanced and vivacious here, thanks to the overall richness and wealth of the whole.

Barbera is the wine that fuels Piedmont, and this is Barbera as it should be: juicy, vibrant, and unpretentious. Sourced from the Ca’ dei Folli vineyard, this is all about bright red cherry fruit, zippy acidity, and a soft, approachable texture. It’s a wine made for the table—perfect for a plate of tajarin or a simple pizza. It reminds you why Barbera is the people’s wine.

The 2023 Barbera d'Asti Ca' di Pian is soft, supple and delicious. A burst of blueberry, black cherry, spice, lavender, menthol and chocolate gives the 2023 tons of immediacy and sheer appeal. This is an especially fine edition of La Spinetta's entry-level Barbera. Best of all, this is a terrific value. (AG)

Braida’s "La Monella" is a lively and playful expression of Barbera del Monferrato, with a frizzante (lightly sparkling) style that adds a refreshing twist to this classic Piedmontese red. Braida is renowned for its Barbera, and "La Monella" captures the essence of bright fruit, vibrant acidity, and the hallmark freshness of the variety. The frizzante bubbles make it perfect for casual drinking and pairing with a wide range of foods.

A perfumed nose of fresh flowers, crushed cherries, baked strawberries and thyme. Medium-bodied with silky tannins. Fresh acidity and some mineral depth give energy to the red-fruited palate. Tasty barbera. Drink now.

Cristian Boffa is a small family producer in the La Morra borgata of Alessandria in the Santa Maria commune, where Cristian, his parents Stefano and Marilena, and his sister Miriam farm five hectares of Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto on clay-rich soils at 250 to 300 meters elevation, with an average vine age of 35 years.

Elio Altare is based in La Morra and became a leading figure in the modernization of Barolo production during the late 20th century. The estate’s 2024 Langhe Barbera highlights another of Piedmont’s historic red grapes, presented under the broad Langhe appellation surrounding the renowned hills of the region.

Barbera, a grape historically rooted in Italy’s Piedmont region, has a long-standing home in California’s Sierra Foothills. J. Runquist’s 2024 bottling brings that transatlantic story to Amador County, one of the foothills’ established winegrowing areas.

This is a no-nonsense wine loaded with complexity and depth, but in its core is pure joy. Aromas of sun-warmed crushed raspberries and black cherries mingle with fresh thyme, while clove, anise and cinnamon stick lift the nose. The well-structured palate is a dance between fresh and preserved wild berries, guided by lively acidity. Savory spice, herbs and white pepper linger on the finish, revealing a wine that's serious, but just wants to have fun. Drink now–2035. *Editors' Choice* (JP)

Trevìe brings together Barbera from La Crena in Agliano Terme and other villages in the hills around Asti. It is made entirely from Barbera under the Barbera d’Asti DOCG designation, with grapes grown on limestone and clay soils. According to Vietti’s current cuvée description, alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel. Around a year of maturation is then shared between steel tanks, barriques and larger barrels.

The 2025 Renato Ratti "Battaglione" Barbera d'Asti (DOCG) is a gorgeous, vibrant, and highly expressive shift in pace, bringing the hallmark high-toned energy of Monferrato's sandy-clay soils into sharp focus. Pietro Ratti crafts this classic cuvée from choice plots in the Asti zone, where warmer microclimates and lighter soils naturally emphasize Barbera's soaring aromatic profile and juicy, accessible architecture compared to the more muscular expressions found in Alba.

The 2023 Barbera d'Asti Trevie shows why Barbera rules in Asti, where it is planted in the very best sites (unlike in Alba, where Nebbiolo is the most important grape). Brisk acids cut through a core of red-toned fruit, white pepper, graphite, slate, mint, chalk and blood orange. This mid-weight, intensely savory/mineral Barbera is a total knockout. (AG)

The 2023 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Martina is a polished, sleek wine, very much in the Elio Grasso style. Silky tannins wrap around a core of dark red cherry/plum fruit, mocha, dried flowers, blood orange and exotic spice. Pliant and supple, the Barbera is so engaging right out of the gate. The 2023 spent 18 months in French oak barrels. (AG)

The "Battaglione" Barbera d'Asti from Renato Ratti is a vibrant and expressive wine that beautifully showcases the Barbera grape’s lively acidity and rich fruit profile. Renato Ratti, a respected name in Piedmont, is known for producing wines that balance tradition with modern winemaking techniques, and this Barbera d'Asti is no exception. The Battaglione bottling honors the history of the region while offering a fresh, approachable take on Barbera. On the nose, the "Battaglione" Barbera d'Asti presents aromas of ripe red cherry, plum, and blackberry, accompanied by hints of violets, spice, and a touch of earthy undertones. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied with lively acidity and soft tannins, delivering flavors of red berries, cranberry, and a touch of licorice. The acidity keeps the wine bright and refreshing, leading to a clean, lingering finish with notes of spice and minerality.

The 2024 Giacomo Conterno "Francia" Barbera d’Alba is widely considered the world’s most structured and "Barolo-like" expression of the variety. The nose is deep and explosive, featuring dark cherry, plum, and mocha interwoven with savory sage and licorice. On the palate, it is monumental and full-bodied, defined by a vibrant, vertical acidity and fine, building tannins that defy the typical softness of Barbera. The finish is exceptionally long and stony. Sourced from the same Serralunga vineyard as the legendary Monfortino, it is a serious, age-worthy red that trades simple fruit for complex power.

The 2024 Oddero Barbera d'Alba Superiore is a masterful blend of power and laser-focused precision. Sourced from choice estate plots—predominantly from the limestone-heavy soils of the San Biagio vineyard in La Morra—this wine benefits from traditional long maceration and aging in large, neutral oak casks, steering completely clear of heavy, modern new-wood makeup.

Founded in 2007 by Fred Cline, Jacuzzi Family Vineyards was created to honor his grandfather, Valeriano Jacuzzi, a member of the Italian immigrant family best known for its engineering innovations and later for the Jacuzzi name itself. The winery’s Tuscan-inspired estate in Sonoma’s Carneros district reflects the family’s roots in Casarsa, Italy, while celebrating a viticultural legacy that dates back to Valeriano’s grape growing and home winemaking in Northern California during the 1930s. Jacuzzi focuses on Italian varieties that remain relatively uncommon in California, including Arneis, Barbera, Sangiovese, Primitivo, and Teroldego. Fruit is sourced from estate vineyards and select Sonoma County sites, with an emphasis on matching varieties to suitable climates and soils. The winery’s portfolio highlights the diversity of Italian grapes while expressing Sonoma’s growing conditions, blending Old World inspiration with California viticulture.

Summer wraps its arms around you in this generous Barbera. Cherries arrive in waves: fresh cut, jammy, and candied, while wildflowers mingle with strawberry leaf. Pure comfort in a glass, it's a smile-inducing pour of plump, juicy berries. Vibrant acidity lifts everything skyward as crushed bay leaf adds just the right sophisticated touch. (JP)

Dark cherries, walnut, vanilla and mussels on the nose followed by a medium-bodied palate rounded by fruit-loaded tannins. Silky, flavorful and expressive with some serious structure, too. Drink or hold.