Australian Wine from
Alternative Grape Varieties

Zibibbo a fun sparkling wine

This is the Southern Italian name for the grape known elsewhere as Muscat of Alexandria.

Low alcohol wines, in the 6%-10% range are starting to come into vogue. They are unashamedly aimed at the underthirties market.

Some other wineries which have gone for this type of wine include

Da Zotto have a Prosecco, a classic italian sprkling variety and style

Pizzini have Brachetto another italian variety, red this time

Rutherglen Estates Sangipop Do you know of any others? Let me know

These are versatile grapes which can serve a number of purposes. They are very good table grapes and they can be made into fortified desert wines or lighter sweetish whites. An Australian synonym is Lexia

Crabtree of Watervale have been producing a wine under this name for several years but over the past couple of years Brown Brothers have put the name into the forefront.

What Brown Brothers have done is made a low alcohol sweet sparkling wine. Their Zibibbo has an alcohol content of just 6%. It was so successful when released a ciouple of summers ago that they have now released Zibibbo Rosa a pink version which is just a bit drier.

Are these serious wines?

To the purists, no. But they have their place. They are pleasant as a pre dinner drink, or just a drink on a warm day.

Fizzy, slightly sweet light wines are competing in a different market. They are up against the premixed industrial alcohol, sugar and cordial drinks that young people are consuming. What do you think?

Leave a comment about Zibibbo in the Readers Advice section of Vinodiversity

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