Marchesi di Barolo 'Maraia' Barbera

Marchesi di Barolo 'Maraia' Barbera comes from one of Piedmont's oldest estates, founded in 1807 in the village of Barolo itself. This bottling takes its name from the Piedmontese dialect word for "little rascals," and the wine delivers the bright, unfiltered energy the name suggests — vivid red-fruit character and firm acidity that make it an everyday workhorse in the cellar. Unlike the estate's structured Barolos and Barbarescos, Maraia is meant to be opened young and drunk without ceremony, a red that thrives with food rather than meditation. The Marchesi di Barolo estate has remained in the Abbona family for five generations, farming parcels across the Langhe including vineyard sites in Barolo, Barbaresco, and the broader Alba zone where this Barbera is sourced. Barbera is Piedmont's most widely planted red grape, prized for its naturally high acidity and low tannin, and the Abbona family ferments this wine in stainless steel to preserve the grape's bright fruit and herbal lift. The result is a style that drinks closer to Beaujolais than Barolo — fresh, light on its feet, built to complement rather than dominate the table. The wine opens with aromas of sour cherry, raspberry, fresh flowers, and wild herbs, then delivers a palate that Wine Enthusiast scored at 90 points for its zippy red-currant and pomegranate flavors that shift into savory territory before finishing with crisp acidity. That acidity makes it a natural match for tomato-based pastas, pizza, grilled sausages, or anything with a vinegar-based condiment — think pork chops with mostarda or roast chicken with salsa verde. Serve it lightly chilled in warm weather and it works just as well at a picnic as it does at a white-tablecloth dinner. The tannins are soft enough that you can chill a bottle and drink it alongside charcuterie without needing to decant or aerate. Available for pickup at our Lincoln Park bottle shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.