Ercole Barbera Del Monferrato 2022

Region: Piemonte, Italy

Grape Varieties: Barbera

Like the wines above, Ercole is the proprietary label for importer Weston Hoard and his company, The Piedmont Guy. As a niche importer of only wines from the Italian region of Piedmont, he needed an inexpensive wine he could sell for by-the-glass pours and everyday drinking. Working with a cooperative in the village of Monferrato he created a series of wines from the area that offer stunning quality and value. In fact, the Barbera is a top 10 selling wine in the Orlando store.

The Ercole Barbera is what some of my older Italian customers used to call “water glass wine.” For those not raised in the Italian community these are wines that are uncomplicated and glugable, served in water glasses because stemware seems too pretentious. While I still prefer a stemmed glass this wine is plump and juicy, with notes of raspberries, pink peppercorns and new leather. I also like this wine with a slight chill so don’t be afraid to throw this on ice for a few minutes.