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Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva or MGA (sometimes also abbreviated as Me.G.A.) refers to a specific area officially defined within the production zone of Barbaresco DOCG. Simply put, an MGA can therefore be seen as the equivalent of the French terms cru or climat.

The MGA system was introduced with an amendment to the production regulations on February  21, 2007, and has been in effect since the harvest of that same year.

Although greater numbers may be noted in some reports, there are 66 officially recognized MGAs – obviously any that extend into two communes are to be counted once. Unlike for Barolo, at the moment there are no communal MGAs (e.g. “Barbaresco del Comune di Barbaresco” and so on).

Since, by tradition, viticulture in the Barbaresco zone is not limited to a single vine variety, the MGAs refer both to Nebbiolo vineyards for the production of Barbaresco DOCG and vineyards planted with other varieties. Also, for reasons that would require a complex explanation, MGAs can take in woods and land devoted to other crops.

The MGAs – it’s important to emphasize this – do not imply superiority in a qualitative sense. A Barbaresco carrying the name of an MGA on the label is not necessarily better or more valuable than a Barbaresco with another name or even with no name at all. The fact is, though, for many producers, Barbaresco wines with an MGA usually represent the most prestigious wines in their lists.

Strange as it may seem, European laws prevent the use of two or more MGA names together on the label, thus effectively erasing a noble and well-documented tradition of Barbaresco obtained by blending various vineyards.

Although contradictory, the same law that prevents use of two or more MGAs on the label allows the producer to add up to 15% of Barbaresco obtained from a second MGA to a Barolo with an MGA stated on the label.

And now some words of caution

1) As accurate as one might try to be, drawing borders on 360° aerial images is no simple matter, and for this reason they are to be considered purely indicative, whether they are borders  of communes or MGAs. As for any blatant errors, I ask forgiveness and urge you to report them to me without hesitation.

2) With regard to borders, in the case of MGAs, I have highlighted only the vineyard areas and not their total territories, which almost always take in spaces dedicated to other crops or woodlands, or more rarely to habitations.

3) Since in recent years I have received many requests in this regard, I decided to take a further step and include in the entries of many MGAs suggestions of one or more wines (under Recommended tastings) for those who would like to taste and better understand the style of the MGA in question. Clearly these are good wines, but having mentioned them does not imply that they are the best on the market or my personal favorites or the most prestigious. They simply lend themselves better than others to the purpose. Moreover, it is good to remember that the character of a wine, especially if it is a matter of nuances, is more easily captured by comparing it with a wine from another MGA, better if from the same producer. For this reason, where useful or possible, I also indicated some labels to be used as touchstones (Reference tastings). The important thing is that the comparison is made with the same vintage and with wines that are not too old, otherwise you would lose the fruity component that is often one of the distinguishing factors in tasting.

4) At the end of each MGA entry, graphs record the total area in hectares and the altitude difference in meters. For those unfamiliar with the region, however, a simple number may not be particularly helpful: without a reference, three hectares can be as many as they can be few, and the same can be said of altitude or altitude differences. For this reason I decided to display the numbers in two graphs whose extremes are respectively: 1) for the total area, a range from zero to the surface area of the Canova MGA (the largest of alls); 2) for the elevation, the lowest and highest elevations within the Barbaresco zone.

5) In regard to geology, the acronyms used need a brief legend. FL Formazione di Lequio (Lequio Formation); MSAl Marne di Sant’Agata Fossili laminate (Sant’Agata Fossili Marls – laminated); MSAs Marne di Sant’Agata Fossili sabbiose (Sant’Agata Fossili Marls – sandy).

6) Not all MGAs rate the same degree of in-depth analysis, which may depend on several factors: dimensions, complexity and ultimately reputation. However, I do not rule out further additions when and if conditions warrant them.

7) Finally, in several MGA profiles, you will find cited Renato Ratti’s map of crus, which I believe is an indispensable document for anyone who wants to learn more about vineyards and Barbaresco. This same map, in high resolution, can be downloaded at by clicking on this link.

In conclusion, some notes about the use of the word “Vigna”.

As many of you may know, a Barbaresco label may feature, in addition to MGA, another name preceded by the word Vigna or, alternatively, Vigne, Vigneto or Vigneti.

Unlike the MGAs, limited in number and in surface area by the production regulations, the “Vigna” names are not subjected, from this point of view, to any restrictions (except for the fact that these names must be registered together with their cadastral data in a register which has been kept by the Piedmont regional government since August 1st, 2011).

The officially recognized vineyards (“Vigna”), therefore, can be seen as a continually evolving phenomenon whose eventual significance is impossible to estimate, both in numerical terms and in the surface area these vineyards cover. Moreover, the absence of clear, homogeneous, and limiting rules has had as a consequence that individual producers can interpret as they wish how to use the word “Vigna”, some attributing it to a place name which can be shared with other houses while others, instead – and they are the majority – transform a traditional name into what is effectively their own proprietary name, however tied to a specific area it might be. 

And finally, from a strictly formal point of view, it would be well to recall that the term “Vigna” can only be used on a Barbaresco label alongside the indication of the MGA in which the Vigna is located or of the township which is the source of the grapes (which does not indicate any sort of qualitative superiority on the part of a Barbaresco with the indication of a “Vigna” compared to another solely with the indication of an MGA). In these cases, the vineyard yield cannot exceed 7.32 tons per hectare (2.9 tons per acre) and the minimal alcohol level must be over 13°.