Wine of the Week: 2009 Scarpetta Barbera del Monferrato

Master sommelier Bobby Stuckey and chef Lachlan MacKinnon-Patterson got to know each other when they were working together at the French Laundry in Napa Valley. Eight years ago they opened Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colo. Their next project? Starting their own wine label based in Italy’s Friuli wine region.

The first Scarpetta wines were whites. Now they’ve moved on to reds, specifically Barbera from the Monferrato region in Piedmont. Working with Fabrizio Iuli there, they’ve come up with this terrific Barbera for less than $20. That’s real value these days.

The 2009 Scarpetta Barbera is a wonderful food-friendly wine, tasting of plums, dark berries and mushrooms. Smooth and round, it has a lively acidity that makes it ideal for pairing with salumi.

Uncork a bottle to enjoy with rustic salami, grilled sausages, pasta with ragú or a simple roast chicken. It can hold its own against spicy foods too, a boon if you like your chiles and fiery hot sauces.

Region: Piedmont, Italy

Price: $15 to $17

Style: Round and smooth

What it goes with: Salumi, pasta with ragú, grilled sausages, roast chicken

Where to find it: Palate Food + Wine in Glendale, (818) 662-9463, https://www.palatefoodwine.com; the Oaks Gourmet Market in Los Angeles, (323) 871-8894, https://www.theoaksgourmet.com; Silverlake Wine in Los Angeles, (323) 662-9024, https://www.silverlakewine.com; Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454, https://www.winex.com.