arbera was described in 1798 by Count Nuvolone in the first ampelography of the grape varieties cultivated in Piedmontese vineyards under the name "Vitis vinifera Montisferratensis." That denomination was due to the historical name of a hilly region that is, still today, the principal center for the cultivation of the Barbera variety: the Monferrato.It is quite probable that Barbera was created by the spontaneous crossing of even older varieties.
What is certain is that the origins of the Barbera variety are extremely ancient, even if the documents in which it is first mentioned go back to only a few centuries ago. In fact, the first formal citation of Barbera is contained in a document of the 17th century now preserved in the Nizza Monferrato city hall.
In chronological order, the first allusion to and praise for Barbera have been traced to Paul the Deacon. According to his account of the Battle of Refrancore in 663, the Longobard troops of Grimaldo defeated the Franks after getting them drunk on wine from neighboring cellars. He reported that the Longobards filled a large number of amphoras with the wine and scattered the containers over the surrounding fields. The jugs caught the Franks' attention and they avidly quaffed the contents.
Today, Barbera wine represents about 50% of the whole vinicultural output of Piedmont. It is, in fact, Piedmont's wine par excellence to such a point that its image is identified with that of the region as a wine producer.
