Tamas Estates Barbera 2006 Impresses Wine Lover

California winery's Barbera wine receives high praise after being gifted to the author.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The author received a bottle of Tamas Estates Barbera 2006 as a gift from a friend, and was pleasantly surprised by the wine's quality. The Barbera, from Livermore Valley in California, had a dark color, notes of blackberry and vanilla on the nose, and a high acidity level that the author felt would pair well with sausage or steak.

Why it matters

The review highlights the quality and versatility of a lesser-known California wine region, Livermore Valley, and showcases how thoughtful gift-giving can introduce people to new wines they may not have otherwise tried.

The details

The Tamas Estates Barbera 2006 required about an hour of breathing time to settle down after opening, but once it did, the author found the wine to be very mellow. The winery also produces other Cal-Italia wines like Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, and a Vino Rosso blend, as well as a "Prima Classe Riserva" that combines a super-Tuscan blend with a Barbera Port.

  • The wine was gifted to the author a week prior to when the review was written.
  • The author let the wine breathe for 30 minutes before tasting it.

The players

Tamas Estates

A California winery located in the Livermore Valley that specializes in Italian-style wines.

Denise

The author's wife, who made a three-cheese rigatoni dish that was gifted to their friend Sioux-z.

Sioux-z

A friend of the author and his wife who gifted them the bottle of Tamas Estates Barbera 2006 in return for the rigatoni dish.

Chris Graves

The winemaker at Tamas Estates.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Sioux-z looks forward to receiving anything that's stamped "From Denise's Kitchen." She's almost as big a fan of my wife's cooking as I am, and that says a lot.”

— Randy Fuller, Author (nowandzin.com)

The takeaway

This review showcases how thoughtful gift-giving can introduce people to new and enjoyable wines, even from lesser-known regions like Livermore Valley. The Tamas Estates Barbera 2006 proved to be a versatile and high-quality wine that the author would consider purchasing again.