Ribbe – what to do?
Norwegians are getting ready to consume tons and tons of Ribbe next week, and many are wondering what wine to drink. And I have three words for you: Barbera, Barbera, Barbera!
If you look other places, you’ll see suggestions like Riesling, Pinot Noir or Beer. Champagne is another option. Or hard liquor. But if you ask me, Barbera is the way to go. Why? The acidity in the Barbera will help clean your palate after eating all that fatty, salty, heavy Christmas food. And Barbera just tastes good. So why not?
Which Barbera?
I would suggest a Barbera that has been in contact with some oak. The classic Barbera will also work, of course, so I’ll throw in some of those as well.
The one from Burlotto is always a winner. If you can, go for his Aves – it’s out of this world. This is unfortunately not available in Norway at the moment, but I’m crossing my fingers for 2020!
Vietti makes a wide range of Barbera (all good) but my favorite has to be the La Crena! On the spectrum, it’s on the expensive side, but the Tre Vigne or Vigna Scarrone would work great with Ribbe as well!
I don’t think I’ll ever mention Barbera without also mentioning Trediberri. And in Norway, it’s always my go to. I mean, talk about bang for your buck! Hopefully it’s also available in whatever country you’re in. If not, shoot him an email (info@trediberri.com) and let him know you’re interested!
Azelia’s wines just became available in Norway again! Woop woop! Another great wine to pair with your Ribbe this year.
For Thanksgiving this year we had the Barbera from Mauro Veglio, and it was perfect with the turkey! Try it with Ribbe as well.
Other Suggestions
If you are dead set on something other than Barbera, keep reading. Although I really don’t think you need to.
If you want Champagne, I would go for Pierre Peters Cuvée de Reserve Grand Cru or Bereche Brut Reserve. Both good value and good quality. You can also have this for your aperitivo, Christmas brunch or just because. It’s never a bad time to drink Champagne.
If Riesling is your thing, you could try Kruger-Rumpf Phyllit Riesling Feinherb or Dönnhoff Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg GG. I hear GG is the way to go, but some less expensive options should work as well.
