With a large array of styles and price points, Barbera can be confusing, but searching out Barbera d’Asti is a great starting point. Barbera is originally from Piedmont, where it is the most planted variety and is known as the People’s Wine, and despite the grape’s popularity in many far flung growing regions, no place has surpassed Asti. The biggest reason for the primacy of Barbera from Asti is that, unlike in the rest of Piedmont, the best vineyards are planted with Barbera instead of Nebbiolo. Family owned Cascina Guido Berta is located in the most prime part of Asti, called the Golden Triangle, and is farmed sustainably with the conversion to organic certification well underway to not only improve the quality of the wines but to safeguard the health of the winemaker, who works in the vineyards daily, and his wife and children who live surrounded by the vineyards. The classic flavors of Barbera are here: warming spices and dried flowers, amarena cherry, red plum, strawberry, with medium velvety tannins balanced by bright acidity and a long finish. Barbera goes with practically everything!