| Barbera is one of the most widely planted red | | | | Before pairing it with any food the wine tasted of |
| grapes in Italy. It comes in several varieties, and | | | | dark chocolate. It was chewy and showed great |
| to be frank Barbera del Monferrato is not at the | | | | balance between its acidity and tannins. The initial |
| top of this list. Nuova Cappelletta is dedicated to | | | | pairing involved home made chicken "nuggets" |
| organic food and wine production. They are | | | | with Mediterranean spices enhanced by an orange |
| located in Vignale Monferrato of the Piedmont | | | | slightly sweet, slightly spicy Thai dipping sauce. |
| region of northern Italy, where they breed cattle | | | | The wine's acidity stepped up a bit. This Barbera |
| and grow cereal on hundreds of acres of which | | | | was long with dark cherries and a touch of |
| some 74 acres are vineyards. I can only imagine | | | | tobacco. The wine really knew how to deal with |
| how their wine pairs with their beef. Let me quote | | | | the accompanying potatoes roasted in chicken fat. |
| the company website concerning their | | | | The acidity washed the grease away and the |
| commitment to organic production: "The entire | | | | tobacco taste intensified. There was also an |
| estate is a certified for organic farming since 1986 | | | | overly spicy salsa with tomatoes, onions, green |
| and all its produce meets the Demeter standards | | | | peppers, and cilantro that did not mute the wine. |
| for biodynamic agriculture. According to these | | | | The next meal was a boxed eggplant parmigiana |
| principles, the farm is managed for sustainability, | | | | that I half drowned in grated Parmesan cheese. |
| and all activities are interconnected. As an | | | | The wine exhibited some chocolate; it was long |
| example, culture rotation and cattle manure | | | | with a good balance between the acidity and the |
| together with the diversified cultivations are | | | | tannins. I enjoyed the wine but had the feeling |
| fundamental to maintain a well balanced and | | | | that it was wasted on this meal. |
| sustainable land fertility." | | | | My final meal centered on barbecued beef ribs in |
| OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we | | | | a sweet ketchup-based sauce. The wine was |
| taste and review are purchased at the full retail | | | | mouth filling with the usual black cherry and |
| price. | | | | tobacco but there was more. It was hearty. The |
| Wine Reviewed | | | | side dishes were the same as in the initial pairing |
| Nuova Cappelletta Barbera del Monferrato 2007 | | | | and the results were basically the same except |
| 13.0% alcohol about $15 | | | | that the salsa was able to cut the wine a bit. |
| Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. | | | | I finished this the bottle with two local cheeses. |
| Description: Winner of a Gold Medal at the | | | | When paired with a brick cheese that was almost |
| Concorso Internazionale del Vino Biologico del | | | | tasteless, the wine was mouth filling and had nice |
| BioFach 2009. The fruit for this wine is certified | | | | length and good fruit. This was a good combo. In |
| organic and biodynamically grown. A easy-drinking | | | | the light of a more flavorful Swiss cheese, the |
| wine with lots of cherry, cranberry, tobacco and | | | | Barbera became somewhat sweet. It was long |
| underbrush aromas. This well-balanced, ripely fruity | | | | and fruity, tasting of cherries. |
| Barbera is a good choice for beef or lamb stews, | | | | Final verdict. I liked this wine and I liked this price. I |
| or mushroom risotto. Our Quality Assurance | | | | would buy it again but instead I'm going to look |
| Laboratory has determined that this wine contains | | | | for a "better" Barbera. |
| 35 mg/L of free sulphur. And now for my review. | | | | |