100% Barbera; Idiot’s Grace Vineyard in Mosier, Oregon; planted 2003; Columbia Gorge AVA; 145 cases produced; grown in soil from volcanic ash and loess over old flood deposits; 13.9% ABV.
I should maybe stay quiet on this, but I confess I don’t really care all that much about bubbles in wine. But I care quite deeply about Barbera, and have long been intrigued by accounts of how this grape has been handled in diverse ways, in various regions of Italy over the years. We are not the first to capture the last CO2 from Barbera’s primary fermentation to create a fizzy wine in bottle.
We have not applied the technical prowess required for Champagne-style wines, and the pressure is not as high as in those bottles. We did “disgorge”—what an extremely messy day that was!—so the bulk of the yeast has been removed, but the wine is purposefully rustic. If a simmering pot is said to smile, and to laugh as it boils— this is joyful fruit indeed! Barbera off leash.
(Aim to serve the wine cool, at true cellar temperature—i.e. not chilled, but definitely not “room temperature,” which is too warm for almost any bottle of anything.)
