Photo: loblolly.biz
It has always been our intention to share with the public our sincere expression of who we are as local Kent County grape growers, and to create the best Maryland wine we can make. We chose Barbera as it is known in the Piedmont area of Italy as the “Farmer’s grape” and the Barbera wine is enjoyed at dinner. As farmers who enjoy growing Grass-fed Angus beef, we felt that the Barbera grape was a good choice for us to grow. As visitors come to our farm and tasting room they are not sure if they want to try the Barbera, as it has a soft color, and once we encourage them to just give it a try they are blown away with the floral nose and the delightful flavor.
With 2 1/2 acres of Barbera, a thin skinned and large cluster varietal, it remains one of Crow’s flagship red grapes. During the growing season we must do shoot thinning, extensive canopy and fruit zone management which is all critical for vine balance to encourage the highest quality fruit. When the grapes come into the winery we try to preserve that quality right to the bottle. We use gentle processing techniques, meticulous sorting, saignée, and cold soaking to achieve as much true Barbera expression as possible. Individually selected French Oak barrels will house this wine for approximately 18 months. The Crow goal is to create a wine that is balanced, expressive, and exemplifies our terroir and the varietal character.
Aaron Menenberg, the author of this review, clearly helps articulate the value that the Barbera grape and wine is for our Eastern shore and for Maryland.
READ: The Cork Report’s – Review: Crow Vineyards 2014 Barbera