12 Jun Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Giornata 2022 Barbera, Paso Robles

Many Italians in Piemonte will say that they “drink Barbera while waiting for Nebbiolo to be ready to drink.” But vibrant, complex, affordable Barbera is worth drinking even if you are not waiting for Nebbiolo to age. Barbara produces a food-friendly wine that is full-bodied with low tannins and high acidity, like the Giornata 2022 Barbera, Paso Robles. This was a wine that screamed “drink me now!” so I did and that is why it is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

About

Giornata owners Stephy and Brian Terrizzi were visiting the town of Alba in Piemonte, Italy in 2007.  While there, they happened upon a Barbera festival that was taking place. They had their Giornata business cards with them and because they are in the wine trade, they were invited to the event an hour earlier. Stephy and Brian started going from table to table and wine after wine was delicious. Stephy described the wines as “all easy-drinking, lunchtime, high acid, no tannin, quaffable red wines.” It was by their 6th or 7th table where they met a winemaker who spoke English. They were telling him how the Barbera wines in the US tended to be aged in oak, bigger style, and more expensive. The winemaker looked at them curiously and said, “You have to have something to drink while waiting for Nebbiolo to age.”

It was not easy to find Barbera on the Central Coast. In Italy, Barbara is the third most planted red wine grape but in California, there is much less, with only 4500 acres planted, including some in Paso Robles. Stephy and Brian found it planted in random plots in hot, flat, sandy vineyards and made their first Barbera in 2008. The Barbera was put into neutral barrel for 8 months and they decided is was too long. Now the Barbera is brought in, destemmed, fermented naturally, pressed when dry, and then aged into stainless steel for a short time before bottling. The wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation.

Tasting Notes

The 2022 Giornata Barbera is an easy-going, drinkable wine. Stephy describes the wine as smelling like Flintstone vitamins. The wine has aromas of sour cherry, floral notes, white pepper, rosemary, and an iron note. On the palate the wine is smooth with soft drying tannins on the front of the palate. The texture is chalky and rustic and the finish is a rush of juicy acidity.

Food Pairing

Barbara typically has bright fruit notes, vibrant acidity, and moderate tannins, making it a very food-friendly wine. Barbera can be paired with grilled meats, pasta with tomato-based sauces, mushroom dishes, and hard cheeses. A classic combination with Barbera is pizza which is what I paired this wine with. The fresh, juicy acidity and earthy tannins of this wine were perfect with a wild mushroom and mozzarella pizza.

Where to purchase

The 2022 Giornata Barbera retails for $30 and it can be purchased directly from the winery at Giornata.com.

Meet the winemaker

Listen to the interview I did with Stephy Terrizzi on the Wine Soundtrack USA podcast.