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Barbera is a wine grape variety from Monferrato in Piemonte, Italy.

Usually produces an intense red wine with deep color, low tannins and high acid. Century-old vines still exist in many regional vineyards and allow production of long-aging, robust red wines with intense fruit and enhanced tannic content. It is believed to have originated in the hills of Monferrato in central Piedmont.

As young, the wines offer a very intense aroma of fresh red and black berries. In the lightest versions notes of cherries, raspberries and blueberries and with notes of blackberry, black cherries and fruit in brandy wines made of more ripe grapes. Many producers adds the flavor of toasted (searing the wood over open fire) oak barrels, obtaining very good results in terms of complexity and longevity when vanilla and ‘toast’ is added to the original fruit aroma. The lightest versions are not recommended for cellaring (fresh fruit replaced by bitterness and notes of dried fruits). Wines with better balance between acid and fruit, often with the addition of oak and high alcohol content - and reduced yields - are more capable of cellaring.

In Italy the best known varietal wines made from it are Barbera d'Asti, made in the district of Asti, the Barbera del Monferrato which is sparkling, and Barbera d'Alba, made in Alba which is a minor variety. Barbera can produce a high quality wine with ageing potential.

The grape is used in California to provide "backbone" for so-called "jug wines".

Barbera plays a minor role in Australia, a few enthusiastic growers producing some very good wines, but most interest in Australia is for other Italian red wine varietals such as Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. The grape also exists to a notifiable extent in Argentina.

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