Barbera

Although Barbera has made its reputation in Italy, and specifically Piedmont, the variety, like many others, has migrated to other global locations. This red grape, once believed to have originated in the hills of Monferrato in central Piemonte, has been recognized since the thirteenth century, although there is evidence of even earlier cultivation. It is most likely the grape written about by Paul the Deacon in his description of the Battle of Refrancore in 663, when the Langobard troops of Grimaldo defeated the Franks after getting them drunk on wine.  He confirmed that the Langobards filled amphorae with wine and scattered them around the surrounding fields. The Franks found these jugs and drank voraciously from them, rendering them unfit for battle -- an interesting take on combat strategy! 

Attempts to identify the exact parentage of Barbera have been problematic, as has determination of its specific area of origin. Despite efforts by Italian scientists to identify the parentage using DNA technology, Barbera's ancestry remains uncertain. Scientists who studied genetic relationships among grape cultivars from northwest Italy reported in 2003 that Barbera was the variety most frequently excluded from possible parental relationships with other varieties from the area. The results caused the scientists to surmise that it is more closely related to the local wild grape Vitis vinifera subspecies sylvestris than to other cultivated grapevines. Some historians believe it grew spontaneously from the seed of an older local grape variety and was later planted to replace old and poorer quality local grape varieties.