Barbera Wine After Chardonnay? Not a Good Combination.

I have mentioned before that Chardonnay is a full bodied white wine. Barbera wine is a lighter bodied red and they do not follow each other well, at least not the wines at Viansa winery. I am warning you because I had this combination there and this great red wine faired poorly. Both of these wines are good from Viansa, just not together.

Keeping that in mind, this is a good type of red wine for red pasta sauces and it is best to drink it in its first 3-5 years. I have had a 7 year old bottle and while it didn't taste bad, it didn't need the extra years. I say once a wine is ready, where's the corkscrew.

This is a grape normally grown by Italian vintners in the Piedmont region so don't be surprised if it is hard to find. It needs hot days and cool nights. Another area where it is grown is California's Central Valley. When it comes to flavor, think cranberry. If you find some, expand your palate and give it a go.

But you can definitely find less expensive reds in the Barbera D'Alba region, like the Vietti 2006 Tre Vigne.

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