By the late 1990s, Barbera was the third most planted grape, after Sangiovese and Montepulciano, with over 150,000 acres under vine in Piedmont, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna. Barbera also became one of the world’s most famous reds made in various styles, from the classically dry reds to fizzy, sweet plonk. However, Barbera’s positive trend had already begun its reversal in 1984 after cheap wines were found to be tainted with methanol (a poisonous variation of alcohol), which caused the death of 30 people. As of 2010, the total acreage has dropped more than half, totaling approximately 50,000 acres of finer, lower-yielding vineyards, making it the sixth most planted grape across Italy. While a lot of land is still dedicated to growing easy-going blending Barbera, one can always rely on wines produced in the Piedmontese designations of Alba, Asti, Monferrato, Nizza, Tinella, and Colli Astiani. There are also some fun Barberas made in California, South America, and Australia. Just pick one. It rarely disappoints and has proven itself to be an easy-drinking pizza wine as well as one that can take on some serious barrel age.
