I couldn’t be more thrilled that the Barbera d’Asti consortium has decided to renew my contract as a freelance writer contributing to this blog.

It’s great news in part because I need the work. But it’s also great news because my partnership with the blog and the consortium has allowed me to explore my interest in and expand my knowledge of Barbera d’Asti, wines that I’ve come to love even more after a year of working with the association.

Indeed, one of the best wines I’ve tasted this year (nearly three months in) was a Barbera d’Asti. As per the guidelines of the consortium and this blog, I’m not allowed to reveal what wine it was or who the producer was (although I will reveal that it was a wine by a leading consortium member and a legacy winemaker in the appellation).

I was actually visiting New York with another client of mine when we decided to treat ourselves to a great bottle of red wine at one of Manhattan’s newest Italian hotspots. (Great restaurant, btw.). We had had a successful trip and celebration was in order.

Increasingly, I’m seeing great Barbera d’Asti on lists like the one at the restaurant where we were eating. But what’s really interesting is the fact that sommeliers, wine directors, and restaurateurs are beginning to point their guests to wines like these.

Yes, this is due in part to the fact that higher-profile appellations in Piedmont are now commanding elitist prices. Honestly, I can’t afford to drink some of the Piedmont wines I used to. But this is creating a new opportunity for people to discover (rediscover, as in my case) Barbera d’Asti as a quintessential component in haute cuisine and fine dining experiences today in the U.S.

I wish I could tell you what the wine was and who the producer was. Unfortunately, I can’t. But what I can tell you is that we are starting to see more and more great Barbera d’Asti on top Italian wine lists in the U.S.

All you have to do is to take the leap of faith with me and you won’t be disappointed. We sure weren’t when we drank an 5-year-old Barbera d’Asti the other night.

The post ONE OF THE BEST WINES I TASTED THIS YEAR appeared first on My Name is Barbera.