Inexpensive gems

FOR sure, there are some people who drink only great wines - Bordeaux Classified Growths, Burgundy Grands Crus etc. I must confess that the anticipation of sitting down to a meal or tasting of such wines does give me a heady sense of expectation. But unless you belong to that class of wine lovers - and they certainly exist - what do you drink in between these heights of savouring wine?

I enjoy seeking out lesser-known wines from a wide variety of wine regions for drinking with simple meals at home, enjoyable and affordable wines, and have been very happy with the results.

A few nights ago, while dining at home, I thought it was time to take another look at Barbera wines from Piedmont, having neither drunk nor tasted one for some time. Barbera wines (made from Barbera grapes) are made for early d…