Barbera is Piedmont's workhorse grape: abundant, productive, and for much of its history blended away into anonymous cheap wine. The Nizza DOCG, awarded its own appellation in 2014, changed that. By restricting yields, demanding longer ageing, and requiring wines from the most favoured communes around Nizza Monferrato, Nizza elevated Barbera to a fine wine category in its own right. Frasca La Guaragna is one of the estates driving that elevation.

Founded in 2018, the project is a collaboration between Curt Frasca and winemaker Matteo Gerbi: formerly of GD Vajra and Bruno Giacosa, two of Piedmont's most celebrated names. The philosophy is one of equilibrium: old vines (35 to 40 years for the Nizza, over 90 years for the single-vineyard La Veja), long maceration to extract depth without harshness, and ageing in large oak casks that add structure without overwhelming the wine's natural character.

The result is Barbera with the seriousness of Barolo and the freshness that only this grape, with its vivid natural acidity, can deliver: dark cherry, violet, a spiced mid-palate, and a long, precise finish.

The estate also produces a Monferrato Bianco from Arneis and Riesling: a smoky, mineral white for those who want something unexpected from Piedmont.

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