If there’s one thing you can say about the Monferrato region of Piedmont, it makes damned good barbera.

If you drink Italian barbera at all, it probably comes from the Langhe, more times than not a marquee Barolo name who the importer works with anyway. Thus Barbera d’Alba dominates retail shelves in the U.S. But the grape’s ancestral home is Monferrato, which straddles Asti and Alessandria provinces. Meaning Barbera d’Asti and Barbera del Monferrato are the real deal, the Ur barbera. 

I recently spent three intensive days there on a press trip sponsored by the Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato. Two mornings of seminars, eight winery visits, and well over 100 wines tasted. Here are some of the people we met.

Agostino Pavia & Figli
Agliano Terme, Asti

I love these guys. They are the figli or sons of founder Agostino Pavia, who’s now 90 and less involved than he used to be a few years back. Until 40 years ago, these fourth-generation grape growers produced vino sfuso or bulk wine for locals who’d come to fill their demijohns with wine and bottle it at home.

Agostino built the cellar in 1985 and lives close enough to keep watch from his doorstep. The sons have worked in the vineyard since the ripe age of 14. Nowadays Giuseppe also deals with the cellar while Mauro handles the office. (Mauro jokes that his brother is “hopeless” in an office setting, being more at home communing with the barrels.)

This is the smallest winery we visited: 12 hectares and 90K bottles, of which 90 percent is barbera and the remainder local grapes like grignolino and albarossa. Their largest production is a Barbera d’Asti called Blina, refined in stainless steel tanks. It’s a barbera for immediate drinking, showing the grape’s dark juicy side. For a longer finish and greater depth, you have to turn to their two single-vineyard Barbera d’Asti Superiore, La Marescialla and Moliss. But be forewarned: they pack a punch. The 2018 Marescialla weighs in at 15.5% ABV.

Cossetti Clemente e Figli
Castelnuovo Belbo, Asti

Expecting a winery, we were all surprised when our bus turned into a horse farm, rolling past white fences and a dozen chestnut quarter horses. The change of plans owed to the steady rain (welcomed by growers after a dry fall), and this new tasting room was cozier than their headquarters, with its fireplace blazing. It seems Clementina Cossetti’s husband has a passion for horses. Not a bad life: a winery and a horse farm.

 In business since 1891, Cossetti Clemente e Figli is another fourth-generation winery. But now three women run the show: Clementina Cossetti is at the helm, supported by her sister Giulia and mother Maria Emma. They manage 35 hectares and 20 labels in Monferrato and beyond, of which barbera and moscato is 55 percent. This year, they were joined by consulting winemaker Beppe Caviola.

Their flagship wine is La Vigna Vecchia, a Barbera d’Asti Superiore from 35-year-old vines. The label features the cursive handwriting of Clementina’s father, Mario.

Another barbera line is Nizza, a newish DOCG begun in 2014. Nizza has historically been a subzone where the best Barbara comes from. In the 1950s, the grapes fetched higher prices — and still do today. Nizza has longer aging potential and more structure than other barbera appellations, as illustrated by their Nizza cru, Crivelletto.

Il Falchetto
Santo Stefano Belbo, Cuneo

Il Falchetto is a traditional winery run by three brothers: Giorgio, Fabrizio, and Adriano Forno. Grape growers since the 1600s, they started bottling in 1940. Now they own six estates scattered across Monferrato and the Langhe. They got their start making Moscato d’Asti in the moscato hotbed of Santo Stefano Belbo. Then 25 years ago they bought land in Agliano Terme to grow barbera.

We had lunch with agronomist Giorgio Forno and his daughter Margherita. A lot of discussion revolved around being a woman in the Italian wine industry. Margherita had 26 women in her class at Alba’s enology school, but only four got jobs where they could actually get their hands dirty in the vineyard or cellar. Most women are relegated to the front office, where they do marketing and administrative work. Necessary work, of course. But Margherita is one of the lucky few who can work in a family winery as an enologist and roll up her sleeves.

She recommended Senza Trucco (Without Make-up), a documentary on four women winemakers making natural wines. She also mentioned an annual gathering for up-and-coming winemakers, Sbarbatelle, where she has appeared on the program. Organized by the Italian Sommelier Association (AIS) and held at the Marchesi Alfieri winery nearby, this attracts the new generation of winemakers, both men and women.

Michele Chiarlo
Calamandrana, Asti

Michele Chiarlo needs no introduction. But it you’re new to Piedmont wine, let it be said that he was a central player in taking Barolo onto the world stage, and later worked the same magic for Nizza when it was the appellation was just an idea.

Michele is semi-retired now, and the winery is in the capable hands of his sons, Stefano and Alberto. Annual production is 1.2 million bottles with 24 labels sourced from properties in Monferrato and the Langhe. But half is their entry-level barbera and moscato. In practice, it’s really two wineries. One makes their high volume wines: a clean, quaffable Barbera d’Asti called Le Orme and a popular Moscato d’Asti. The other half of their operation is managing the 11 prestige vineyards, from Cannubi in Barolo to La Court in Nizza.

Four Nizza barberas come the La Court vineyard, which also contains an Art Park. Part of Le Orme is sourced here. Continuing up the scale is Cipressi, named after the ancient cypress trees on top of the hill. Though it’s their entry-level Nizza, the 2015 vintage got a perfect 100 points from Wine Enthusiast.

Then we arrive at two Nizza Riserva wines: La Court (from 45-year-old vines) and La Court Vigna Veja (65 years old). These wines are the pinnacle of polish and depth. They have a rich, velvety texture and dark fruit, which in time will show chocolate, coffee, and balsamic notes. Stefano prefers to drink his wines before they lose their primary fruit. If you do too, he advises you to uncork La Court before 8 to 10 years.

Vinchio Vaglio
Vinchio, Asti

I was very impressed with this cooperative winery. Coops have a bad rap due to many substandard examples. But Vinchio Vaglio is at the quality level of Alto Adige, where excellence in coops reigns.

Now with 192 members, the coop unites the ancient rival towns of Vinchio and Vaglio Serra. When established in 1959, the bylaws explicitly state that the president and vice president must come from each town and preside as a team.

For many years, Giuliano Noé was their enologist. Noé is one of the godfathers of the barbera revolution in the 1980s, when barbera went from being a rustic farmhouse wine to something more dignified. Noé was also one of the movers and shakers behind the age-worthy Nizza DOCG. He retired from Vinchio Vaglio in 2018 and was replaced by his right-hand man, Giuseppe Rattazzo, so the same approach continues.

That approach is very good indeed, based on the wines we tried. First up was a delightful frizzante freisa called La Martana. One usually finds this native grape vinified as a still wine, but I’ve always loved this gently sparkling style. It’s more refreshing and brings out freisa’s lovely raspberry and rose aromas.

Their flagship is Vigna Vecchia, a Barbera d’Asti Superiore. The brainchild of Noé, this project was launched in 1987 in order to uplift the reputation of barbera. They mapped vineyards older than 50 years (vigna vecchia means old vineyard), added a strict selection of grapes, a long maceration, and aging in French barrique. For the 50th anniversary of this wine, they came out with another version, Vigna Vecchia 50º, aged exclusively in stainless steel. Both are excellent. The original has spice from the wood, while the new version more purity of fruit. I’d happily drink either anytime.

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Coming up: More on Monferrato, including the historic Marchesi Alfieri estate, as well as two newcomers, Hic et Nunc and Prediomagno.