Q. When is the best time to open your bottle of Barbera?
A. From Piedmont, Italy, most Barbera wines are best enjoyed within the first 3-6 years of their production. They’re easy-drinking, fruit-forward, and pair well with lots of different dishes because of their higher acidity and low tannins. However, the newest (2014) Barbera appellation, Nizza DOCG, comes from premium vineyard sites and has high complexity, concentration, texture, and overall a greater capacity to age longer.
The other answers are wrong because…
A super-young Barbera might still have some harsh, young tannins that would benefit from a year or two mellowing in the bottle.
Opening the Barbera at either your 20-year high school reunion or 40th birthday could potentially work out well, if the time coincides with our recommendations above!
If you really wanted to test out “the longer it ages the better” theory, opt for a Nizza, like Michele Chiarlo La Court Nizza Riserva DOCG.
You can definitely age all of the wines in our Cellar Starter pack—in fact, we recommend it!
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