Barbera is one of the world's most widely planted grapes. In its native Italy, it is the second most common red wine grape and is the wine of choice in the Piedmont area, Italy's most sophisticated and wine-oriented region. Successfully transplanted to California, there are almost 11,000 acres of Barbera planted in the Golden State. The vast majority of plantings are in the Central Valley with some acreage along the coast and in the Sierra Foothills. California winemakers value the Barbera for its natural high acidity and use the grape primarily for blending with other red wine grapes.

Those Barberas that are produced from grapes grown in the cooler areas are generally of a high quality and are worth seeking out. They can exhibit considerable character, beautiful dark color, berry-like aroma, fruitiness and good aging potential. The fruitiness and acidity of Barberas make them ideal companions with seasoned foods such as lamb prepared in a Mediterranean style or hearty pasta dishes. Serve at cool room temperature.

Camille says… Burgers are great on the grill. Since everyone is looking for a new variation, I've developed this recipe with a Barbera wine marinade. Use either ground beef or lamb. Serve with grilled corn-on-the-cob, buttered, steamed asparagus and a tomato and arugula salad.

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef or lamb
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup Barbera
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
Several dashes of bitters
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Combine meat with garlic, mixing well. Divide into 4 even 6-ounce pieces and shape into burgers. Place in a shallow glass pan.

For the marinade, mix wine with remaining ingredients in a 1-cup glass measure. Pour over burgers, turning to coat both sides. Marinate for 20 minutes, turning once. Drain meat well, pat dry with paper toweling; reserve marinade for basting.

Place burgers on preheated grill over hot coals and baste with marinade; grill 5 inches from heat about 5 minutes, until browned. Turn and baste. Continue grilling about 4 to 5 minutes, basting often, until burgers are browned and medium-rare. Discard any unused marinade.

Marinating time: Cooking time: about 20 minutes.