It makes a lot of sense to follow a blog on Zinfandel and its importance to the Gold Country and Sierra Foothills AVAs with the other stalwart grape of the Sierra appelations which is Barbera. Barbera is a complementary varietal to the venerable Zinfandel of the wines of California’s interior. UC Davis said Barbera would do well in California’s central valleys. It has since also been planted in Sonoma, Amador and El Dorado counties, and provides many wineries the potential to leverage this versatile varietal. You will find a lot of Barbera at Northern California wineries.

Why the title of this blog, well because it can get confusing. Italy is the world’s most diverse wine country on the planet. It is said, that over 1 million unique vineyards exist in Italy, and they are the largest producing Country in the world just barely beating out the other two stalwarts of Europe which are Spain and France. Italy is a powerhouse in wine, and yes Barolo which is made from the Nebbiola grape varietal is not Barbera. So a small joke on the world of Italian wines, because it is so varied and complex. Cheers to Italy, they have been doing vinification of grapes for centuries.

Barbera in the foothill wine regions is usually made as Zinfandel is, trying to be a fruity, dark and bold wine. As Paul Bush from Madrona and Rucksack wineries explains how Barbera is very acid forward when the grapes are picked a bit earlier and Paul blends two distinct pickings to determine a better balance for his Barbera, focusing on medium body Barbera. I do love the Rucksack Cellars Barbera I think it is a classic Barbera for our area but there are of course many others to try. I prefer a Barbera that is structured with enough acidity and tannins (structure), to give it a long mellow finish, quite different, than California Zinfandel. Generally speaking, Zinfandel will be more tannic, and Barbera will be more acidic, but overall structure and balance is the key to drink-ability, and how well a wine will go with food.

Another foothills choice for Barbera would be a famous Barbera producer from a historical perspective and this is the Boeger Winery who is also the pioneering winery of El Dorado County in the modern era. Boeger produces lots of varietals, but they maintain Barbera as one long standing flagship varietal. Boeger Barbera should be an easy find if you are local within the region.

I want to mention 2 wineries from Amador, as Amador is very well known for Barbera plantings. Cooper Vineyards, takes Barbera very seriously. Cooper loves big Barbera trying to leverage all the grape can give, in a rich and opulent tone. Another Barbera from Amador to try is the Bella Grace Barbera, the organically grown Barbera fruit at Bella Grace is top end. Other players in the Steiner Road group do well with Barbera, right alongside all the Zinfandel that comes from this section of Amador County.

Like Paul at Rucksack says you should try to drink Barbera with food. The acids of Barbera especially common in Italian Barbera’s you can purchase are designed to cut through starchy foods, such as pasta, bread and potatoes. So it is a perfect compliment to some appetizers that may provide starch and this is a good starting way to pair this varietal.

If you want to go deeper on the varied world of Barbera I think it is a must to leverage an online wine store that brings in a good number of Italian Barbera’s so you can try the different more acidic nature of the Italian Barbera to see how that suits you. Italian Barbera’s go deep and wide. A great place to start is Astor Wines. Ones thing I love about Astor is they stock an amazing amount of varied Italian Barbera’s from all over Italy. So that’s a good online store that will let you try a few.

Enjoy any well crafted Barbera at your next Italian pasta meal just to see if you like that cherry tone and palate cleansing acid with your spaghetti, and remember to drink a few choices, as the varietal can be very diverse, especially when you dive in deeper to what Italy provides. Here is a launch point at Wine Folly into the Piedmont region of Italy, where Barbera is heavily planted and all types of Barbera wines are produced in Piedmont, from lighter elegant Barbera’s to very rich and opulent ones.

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The roots of Zinfandel go back to the 19th Century in California and it could be the first major varietal that really took off in more vineyards than any other varietal. There is claim that over 10% of the vineyards within the state have some of this varietal growing in it.

As far as mountain Zinfandel goes, it can be more acidic, complex and offer a level of complexity that is both less fruity and full of rich spices, such as cardamom, crushed cinnamon, clove or even curry. The fruits can span from tart cherry, towards black fruits, or even raspberry, in the lighter renditions.

Most Zinfandel across California and in the Sierras too, is picked when the sugars are pretty high. When sugar in the grape is high, it produces a higher alcohol wine, which are often adored by those people that love a “big wine”, or lots of body. Alcohol above 14% is very common and it is actually very uncommon to find a California Zinfandel under 13%. There are a few “young” elegant, or less of a fruit bomb Zins, such as one made by Hank Beckmeyer the winemaker of La Clarine Farm in Somerset, California. Hank’s Zinfandel is a classic Zinfandel that is both tart and delicious usually coming in at 12.x% alcohol, because he gets his mountain grape when the sugars are lower and uses more European methods to create the wine. He sources from a El Dorado County mountain vineyard at about 3,000 foot elevation. The elevation helps lengthen and moderate the ripening process.

Zinfandel wine grapes ripen early. Zinfandel or Primitivo grapes in Lodi California for example will definitely ripen faster, even in August some years. I helped a friend harvest his Primitivo in August one year.

Zinfandel is a wine that is spicy if nothing else, so pair it with strong cheeses, grilled foods, seasoned meats or vegetables, and of course barbecue. Zinfandel almost always goes better with food.

What are some of the wineries that have specialized in this varietal?

There are simply too many to try, you will never have the time or fortitude to try all the different California Zinfandel on the market. There are literally thousands. So if you are new, go with what a professional might suggest.

Jim Gordon at Wine Enthusiast definitely knows Northern California wines and here’s his blog on 10 California Zinfandel’s to try.

In my local area, here are two wineries that have landed some very tasty Zinfandel over the years.

Fair Play: https://oakstone-winery.com

Amador: https://www.terrerougewines.com/

Amador wineries are more attuned to Zinfandel. One winery that has lots of production, and varietals, and goes great with Zinfandel at great prices is the Sobon Estate in Amador County, this is a well established family winery. And one that is really exceptional at sourcing the finest grapes from some of the most distinctive vineyards all across state is, Turley which spans Napa, to Paso Robles and has a very active tasting room on Shenandoah Road, in Amador County. Finally the very popular winery that really does well focusing on both Zinfandel and Barbera’s, and has extremely popular tasting room site, is Scott Harvey. Their 1869 rendition of Zinfandel is perhaps from some of the very oldest vineyards producing Zinfandel in the entire state, if that is intriguing to you. Older mature vines tend to do much better giving off intense fruit.

Zinfandel may have first started, somewhere near the Gold Rush area of Coloma, close to my home. One thing is certain in Gold Country, Zinfandel is still the king grape, especially as you move into Amador County.

So lastly, what about blending that Zinfandel? This varietal is not known as a blending grape like say Grenache or Marsanne is. I mean we don’t have the Rhone culture affecting Zinfandel which is almost as old as (modern) California itself. So here is one idea. Look at some innovation towards another varietal that has less tannins and arguably more fruit, which is Barbera. And you could purchase a wine that is 50% Barbera / 50% Zinfandel and see how how that works for you. The initial vision is to get the fruitiness off their Barbera with a tannic boost from the Zinfandel. If you don’t like the bomb Zinfandel, then this wine was made for you. Good residual sugars, and more fruitiness. Which the Barbera brings in clusters.

Cheers!

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