02 Jun Nizza in a Glass: The Story of Frasca La Guaragna

In Piemonte, Italy, the three best-known red grapes are Barbera, Dolcetto, and Nebbiolo. Of course, of those three, Nebbiolo is “king” and Barbera has long lived in its shadow. In fact, many locals will casually say that they “drink Barbera while waiting for Nebbiolo to be ready.”

But Barbera is far more than simply a wine to drink while waiting for Nebbiolo.  Vibrant, approachable, and food-friendly, Barbera offers bright acidity, soft tannins, and generous fruit, making it one of Piemonte’s most enjoyable everyday wines. And in Nizza, where Barbera takes center stage, the grape reaches an entirely different level of complexity and expression.

That is the vision behind Frasca La Guaragna, a young winery rooted in the heart of Monferrato and dedicated to showcasing the depth and potential of Barbera from Nizza DOCG. I had the pleasure to meet winemaker Matteo Gerbi during a recent virtual tasting.

The story of Frasca La Guaragna started in 2018 with a handshake between Gerbi and Curt Frasca, an Italian-American entrepreneur who fell in love with the wines, food, and landscape of Nizza, Monferrato. Gerbi was raised in Monferrato and grew up going into the vineyards with his grandfather. He developed an early connection to viticulture and the land. He moved to the Langhe where he was working as a winemaker but always had a dream to create something in his home territory. When Gerbi and Frasca met, they shared a dream of building a winery focused entirely on expressing the identity of Barbera from this historic area.

Their goal was ambitious from the start. They wanted to create wines that could be a flagship expression of Nizza. “We wanted to open a window to the Monferrato landscape through our wines,” explained Gerbi.

That sense of place defines the projects. Before their first vintage in 2019, they walked more than 250 hectares in search of the right vineyard sites. Today, Frasca La Guaragna farms 25 hectares across four vineyard areas in Nizza with a close-knit team of ten people, six of whom work daily in the vineyards. Each vineyard offers distinct soils – marl, clay, limestone, and sand – as well as varying elevations, and exposures. Each of these characteristics contribute different aromatic and textural components to the wines. And the team then vinifies each parcel separately, sometime conducting 15-20 individual fermentations before blending the final wines.

Fermentations are gentle, with delicate crushing, pump overs instead of punch downs, and extended macerations to extract complexity without harshness. For the Nizza wines, macerations can last up to 35 days.

Sales Director Federico Raviola, who joined us on the virtual tasting, described Barbera as something deeply personal to the region. “We were born and raised here. Barbera is in our blood.” Raviola noted that while Barbera is often treated as secondary to Nebbiolo in the Langhe, where it is frequently planted in less prestigious vineyard sites, Nizza gives the grape center stage. “Barbera is fruit-driven, with bright acidity, soft tannins, and incredible drinkability,” he said. “In Nizza, you find more structure, but in a positive way.”

This was echoed by David Giuliano of Regal Wine Imports who was also on the call. A former sommelier in New York, Giuliano admitted he initially viewed Nizza wines as a modern, oak-driven category that was often overshadowed by other Barbera wines. But meeting Gerbi and Raviola at a Slow Wine event and tasting the Frasca wines changed his perception. “It was an ‘aha’ moment,” Giuliano recalled. “Through the wines, I finally understood the greatness and uniqueness of Nizza.”

Through all the discuss, Gerbi summed it up best when he said, “the wine speaks better than I.”

Monferrato Sej Biano 2024 ($24)

The 2024 Monferrato Bianco is a blend of Riesling and Arneis grown in sandy soils scattered with smooth stones from an ancient riverbed. Fermented entirely in stainless steel, the wine offers pretty floral, apple, and citrus aromas. The wine has lots of acidity and balances freshness, minerality, and texture, with the Riesling contributing vibrant acidity and the Arneis adding subtle richness through light bâtonnage.

Barbera d’Asti 2022 ($22)

The Barbera d’Asti brings together fruit from all four vineyard sites. Emphasizing brightness and approachability, the medium-bodied wine is a beautiful deep ruby color with inviting red fruit aromas and fresh acidity.

Nizza 2021 DOCG ($35)

The Nizza DOCG Barbera is sourced from older vines averaging 40 years of age. Smaller berries, giving greater depth and concentration, longer maceration, and six months of mandatory wood aging required by the appellation helped create a wine with both richness and polish. A beautiful wine with dried floral notes, textured tannins and juicy acidity that softens the tannins.

Nizza La Veja 2021 ($65)

Meaning “the old lady” in local dialect, Nizza La Veja comes from one of the oldest vineyards in the region, with vines more than 95 years old. Gerbi described the vineyard almost reverently. “I had never seen a vineyard like this,” he said. The vineyard has survived wars, hailstorms, and generations of farming, yet continues to produce balanced fruit from deeply rooted vines and mixed clones. The resulting wine carried both concentration and remarkable freshness, proving that old vines can deliver not only power but also elegance and energy.

Located within the UNESCO-recognized landscape of Monferrato, Frasca La Guaragna is helping redefine what Barbera can be while also staking a claim for Nizza as one of Piemonte’s most exciting denominations. And perhaps most importantly, the wines are delicious at remarkably fair prices, making them easy to enjoy whether or not there is Nebbiolo still aging in the cellar.