Wine is, of course, indispensible with Italian food, and at Italian restaurants. One type of wine that has worked well for me over the years is Barbera. It’s actually more than one wine. Barbera is a red varietal that is labeled after the towns it grows near in the Langhe region of Piedmont in northwestern Italy: Barbera d’Alba, Barbera d’Asti, and Barbera del Monferrato.
The wines are very high acidity and low tannins that make them an excellent pair with most foods. Their fruitiness might appeal to many American drinkers. According to the authors of the very useful Italian Wine for Dummies, “Barbera is the most versatile Italian red for everyday enjoyment.” Barbera cannot make as great a wine as its neighbor, Nebbiolo, does with Barolo and Barberesco, but it makes some extremely good wines. Most of the top Barolo and Barberesco producers such as Vietti, Mascarello and Gaja also make Barbera.
These Barberas are especially good to search for at restaurants because they are usually wallet-friendly. Quickly scanning the wine menus available online at several Italian restaurants, it is clear that you usually can find several Barberas priced in the $40 dollar range, usually in the most inexpensive quartile at most restaurnts.
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