One of the great tricks of Barbera is that it just holds onto its natural grape acidity, like a toddler with a fave bunny. It means that even when the grapes get nice and ripe, like in this Little Wine Company release, you end up with a crisp drink. This blackberry and redcurranty red has flavour and balance, all making for what is a very refreshing medium bodied wine.

Ian and Suzanne Little are anything but little. This husband and wife super team have lived a fascinating wine life, now culminating in their Hunter Valley project for the last twenty-five years, The Little Wine Company. Suzanne is the winemaking figurehead here, tracing her experience back to Katnook Estate in the late 1980s. Suzanne, who has degrees in economics, law and wine science, became really famous working for the (now forgotten) Rosemount Estate in the 90s when Rosemount was the #1 wine brand in the country. Then in 2000, Suzanne left Rosemount to join forces with her winemaking husband, Ian (also a trained biochemist and brewer), to develop The Little Wine Company. Together, they are exploring grapes that don't fit the usual Hunter Valley stereotypes, including Albariño, Barbera, Tempranillo, Vermentino and Pecorino.