Barbera and the Comfort of Old Slippers

Margherita Rava says that her father wakes up talking and goes to bed talking. All day long he is waving his hands, running them through his big head of wild hair, and speaking with gusto about their farm, house, wine, his growing family, and his varied and experimental projects on the Monferrato countryside with anyone that will listen. A visit with him is a 6 hour marathon of excited, full-of-life, Italian monologue.

Except at lunch. That's when Giovanni Rava gets serious. 

The first time I ever visited was on a cold February day in 2018. We spent the morning with Giovanni in his wonderfully disorganized cellar, hands and toes freezing a little bit more every minute, until a call came from his wife Elena that lunch was ready. He glanced at us as if to say, "now you'll see what's really going on here..."

Upon entering their house, he motioned for us to remove our shoes and pointed to a large box in an outer hallway filled with slippers. After a minute of rummaging through, I slipped into an old pair that wouldn't clash with my ensemble and shuffled into the dining room. And that's where we stayed for the next 3 hours. With a fire going, we ate Elena's seriously good home cooking, talked about wine with Giovanna and Margherita, and with our toes nice and toasty inside those warm and fuzzy slippers, came to understand the wonderfulness of La Casaccia, the Rava family's "messy-looking old house."

It's hard to wrap my head around the idea that this was 7 years ago. And even though I've been back there a half dozen times since, there's no forgetting that first time, having been welcomed into the Rava home like we were old friends, and then staying longer than expected, just like new ones would. I'm sure other wine importers have shared a similar experience at La Casaccia--the generous warmth, the hospitality, the food, and their delightfully energetic range of wines.

Maybe they even eased into my old slippers.

We go to La Casaccia for many reasons, but generally leave with two, and they're both Barbera. The story above is relatable because for me, Barbera needs to be both energetic AND comforting. It's that kind of wine. Serious and not-serious at the same time. It's a wine to dribble onto the table, but then marvel at how simply perfect it is with a spinach agnolotti, a warm bowl of bean stew, or a backyard barbecue.

Giovanna and Margherita grow these wines on their six hectares of organically farmed, hillside vineyards near the charming village of Cella Monte. In the vineyard is where they are both the most animated, asking you as a visitor to take delight in the gorgeous nature around you, and challenging you to question how a quality wine could be made in any other way besides starting right there. In the Rava's wines, that natural brightness, purity, and energy flow into every bottle.

Maybe all that sounds a little too woo-woo for you? Well...then let's dial up a few of each of these into a box so you can judge for yourself.

• La Casaccia Barbera Giuanin 2022 •

Delicious. There's no other word. You could think of it as Barbera "undressed." No makeup. No magic winemaking wand. Perfectly mature, flavor-filled Barbera grapes fermented in large tanks and then bottled the following spring to preserve freshness, light, and vivacity. I'm convinced that this is the reason Barbera has taken on a life of its own in our parts. It just might be one of the juiciest and scrumptious Italian reds we offer. And it sets you back less than $20. Really.

• La Casaccia Barbera Caliché 2018 •

And then there's this. The opposite of what I've just described with the Giuanin. Here's a wine that was grown the same year that I made my first visit with the Rava family, and today has finally hit its stride. Call it what you want: "premium", "reserve", "cellar selection"--whatever. It was oak fermented and bottled after nearly 3 years of aging in the barrel, then with an additional 3 years in the Rava cellar before release. Giovanna claims this is what was needed to have the wine become gustatory. Where Giuanin is high-toned and vibrant, Caliché is broad, structured, and dense. It is a prime example of what Barbera can become with patience.