2021 Villa Sparina Barbera 375ml

Villa Sparina sits on historic ground in the hills of Gavi, an estate whose earliest structures date back to the 18th century and whose legacy has only deepened under the stewardship of the Moccagatta family since the 1970s. Here, vineyards benefit from Ligurian breezes, generous sun, and soil that gives both Cortese and Barbera remarkable expression. 

Their Barbera is the kind of wine that balances joie de vivre with serious pedigree.

In the glass, it greets you with bright raspberry, Bing cherry, blackberry, and violet — lively fruit that demands attention without shouting. Then, as it opens, the wine quietly reveals complexity: anise, graphite, hints of leather, tart cherry pie and savory herbs unfold across a bold, energetic midpalate. Barbera’s signature acidity lifts the whole ensemble and carries it to a bright, mineral finish that keeps you sipping. This is a frisky charmer of a wine — fun at first pour and thoughtful feels in every swirl.

And then there’s the bottle.

Villa Sparina’s wine doesn’t arrive looking like every other bottle on the shelf. Its silhouette was created with a designer, Giacomo Bersanetti, who drew inspiration from an ancient vase recovered on the estate during renovation. That ancient fragment gave shape to something at once compact, elegant and robust —in a nod to the timeless craft of storing wine across centuries.

Let’s be honest: in a dimly lit room, it might resemble a World War I grenade.  A shape like this tells you — before you even pour — that this is no ordinary bottle, and what’s inside will get your attention too!

At the table, this Barbera is more than a conversation piece. Pair it with black pepper potato chips and mascarpone dipped with black truffles; go classic with porcini risotto studded with roasted sea scallops — yes, Barbera and seafood absolutely click — or take the spicy route with Indian fare, where the wine’s acidity cuts through heat like a cool breeze. And if you’re thinking long term, this Barbera has the structure to reward a decade in cellar.

Barbera with clarity, character, a wink and a boom — here is a wine that pours personality as freely as it bounds into the glass. Salute!