Barbera

The most widely planted grapes in Italy are Sangiovese, Montepulciano, and Barbera so be glad I'm talking about the one that's easiest to pronounce.  :)  

Barbera is a dry red wine of low tannins (that mouth-drying sensation you might get from a young Cabernet). It also is a wine of high acid (that refreshing sensation you get from sparkling wine or Sauvignon Blanc). Barbera has a dark color like a Syrah, rich taste like a Zinfandel, but lighter bodied like a Pinot Noir.

Barbera central, Piedmont, Italy
image from winepros.org

In its home in northern Italy, Barbera is considered an inexpensive daily drinker that you don't have to cellar. With the higher acids, it's meant to be a food wine, such as rich and fatty meats, hard and blue cheeses, pasta sauces, and BBQ sauce.

Barbera and other wine grapes were imported by the Italian Swiss Colony winery to Sonoma County about 140 years ago. There are about 5,000 acres of barbera planted in all of California, with the vast majority in the Central Valley, where it's mostly blended in inexpensive red wines. In recent years, it seems to have found a home in the Sierra Foothills, especially Amador County. In fact, Amador has an annual Barbera festival.

A few of my favorite Amador producers are Borjon, Jeff Runquist, Noceto, Scott Harvey, but there are many more I haven't yet tried. A few of my favorite Sonoma producers are Imagery, Portalupi, Seghesio, Unti.

With its reasonable price and food friendliness, barbera could be your new favorite wine!