Ciao Tutti!
This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste the Barbera d’Alba DOC ($24.25, 14.5 ABV) from the Barale Fratelli winery in Barolo, Piemonte. Barbera is the every day wine of Piemonte and over the past years we have featured Barbera from other wineries. This Barbera has proven to be quite popular with our customers so it is long overdue for its debut at our wine tasting.
The Barale family traces its roots in Barolo back to the 16th century. They have been winemakers since the 1870’s, making them one of Barolo’s oldest winemaking families. Their historic cellar is located in the Barolo Town Center and their thirteen hectares of eight vineyard sites grow Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and Pinot Nero grapes, as well as Arneis and Chardonnay grapes.
The Barale family are serious organic farmers and I was impressed to learn they submitted 216 strains of native yeasts for molecular analysis to the University of Turin. They wanted to determine which yeasts expressed the character of their unique terroir and narrowed their selection to the three best strains!
The Barale family of father Sergio Barale and his daughters Eleonora and Gloria now manage the winery. In the future, Barale Fratelli (brothers) will become Barale Sorelle (sisters) that reflects the role of women in leadership roles in what was for generations a male dominated industry. Eleonora and Gloria respect and maintain the traditional methods of viniculture while being open minded to modern technology.
The Barale Fratelli Barbera d’Alba has aromas of ripe red cherries, medium body, smooth tannins, with a flavor of tart cranberry-perfect for our mild fall days. If you have not yet tasted this wine, come join me on Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 and you just might make this Barbera your everyday wine too!
Cin Cin!
Jenn
Piazza Italian Market is located in the Talbot Town Shopping Center at 218 N. Washington St., suite 23, in Easton, MD
Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.
