NV La Villa Sparkling Nebbiolo $42

Nebbiolo is not a red wine grape you'd associate with North West Tasmania. Very much at home in Piedmont (northern Italy), where it makes long-lasting Barolo, the variety has indeed found new digs at Spreyton's La Villa Wines. Marcus and Gail Burns spent several years living in Italy during Marcus's long career in European cycling and they returned home with a passion for Mediterranean foods and the wines they enjoyed with them.

This tricky variety was planted at La Villa around a decade ago and appears in the vineyard's wine portfolio in both traditional method and still table wine guises. High natural acidity makes its particularly well-suited to the former use, assuming physiological ripeness is reached beforehand.

Once hand-picked in late autumn, La Villa Nebbiolo is despatched to Delamere Vineyards at Pipers Brook where fizz-whiz Fran Austin works her magic. And what an engaging Rosé we're greeted by some three years later. The wine is fresh and racy, finely structured and gently ripe. Subtle red apple, pomegranate and cranberry flavours have good persistence with a savoury finish. It's a little bit of Tassie genius. 

Add a bottle (at least) to your Christmas shopping list. It's a far more appropriate choice for drinking across the silly season than the hearty sparkling Shiraz - 'Sparkling Burgundy' - that was once popular with roast turkey.

Source: Vineyard cellar door

www.lavillawines.com.