Comparison
Barbera vs Valpolicella Ripasso
How Barbera and Valpolicella Ripasso differ, dimension by dimension.
The short answer
Barbera and Valpolicella Ripasso come from the same country but sit in different territory. The main differences: Valpolicella Ripasso has more spice; Valpolicella Ripasso has more sweetness; Barbera has more acidity.
Choose
Valpolicella Ripasso
Choose Valpolicella Ripasso if you want something spicier, sweeter, more tannic and structured.
Where they genuinely differ
Only differences large enough to notice in the glass are listed here. A gap of half a point on a five-point scale is noise, and WineHQ does not dress it up as a finding.
Spice
Clear differencePepper, clove, cinnamon and related spice notes, whether from the grape (as with rotundone in Syrah) or from oak.
Valpolicella Ripasso is spicier: medium against low.
Sweetness
Clear differencePerceived sugar in the finished wine, driven mainly by residual sugar but modified by acidity, alcohol and fruit ripeness.
Valpolicella Ripasso is sweeter: low-medium against low.
Acidity
Clear differenceTotal perceived acidity. Rises in cooler climates and with earlier picking; falls with heat and ripeness.
Barbera is fresher and more acidic: high against medium-plus.
Tannin
Clear differencePhenolic compounds from grape skins, seeds, stems and oak. The principal structural axis of red wine.
Valpolicella Ripasso is more tannic and structured: medium against low-medium.
Body
Clear differenceThe overall weight and viscosity of the wine in the mouth — a composite of alcohol, sugar, extract and glycerol.
Valpolicella Ripasso is fuller and richer: medium-plus against medium.
Oak influence
Clear differencePerceptible impact of barrel or alternative oak contact — vanilla, toast, coconut, smoke, cedar and added texture.
Barbera is more oaky: medium against low-medium.
Where they are much the same
Just as useful: knowing which parts of the choice do not matter.
- Alcohol: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Fruit intensity: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Aromatic intensity: Similar — both medium.
- Savoury character: Similar — both medium.
- Floral character: Similar — both low.
Full side by side
| Dimension | Barbera | Valpolicella Ripasso |
|---|---|---|
| Spice | low (1/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) |
| Sweetness | low (1/5) | typically low-medium, ranging from low to low-medium (2/5) |
| Acidity | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Tannin | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Body | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Oak influence | typically medium, ranging from low to medium-plus (3/5) | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) |
| Perceived freshness | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Texture | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Alcohol | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Fruit intensity | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) |
| Aromatic intensity | medium (3/5) | medium (3/5) |
| Savoury character | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Floral character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Herbal / green character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Earthy character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Carbonation | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Serve at | 14–16°C | 15–17°C |
| Typical flavours | sour cherry, blackberry, plum, violet, liquorice | sour cherry, dried fig, cinnamon, plum, bitter chocolate |
Values are typical points within each wine’s range. Both wines vary — see the individual pages for how much.
Read more
Style
Barbera
Piedmont’s everyday red: deeply coloured, very high in acidity and low in tannin — the opposite structure to Nebbiolo.
Style
Valpolicella Ripasso
Valpolicella re-passed over the drained skins of Amarone, gaining body, alcohol and dried-fruit character.
Comparison
Valpolicella vs Ripasso
What does "ripasso" do to the wine?
Comparison
Amarone vs Ripasso
The full-price version, and the one made from what it left behind.