La Villa

North-West Tasmania, Australia

Whilst they may not have appreciated it when they were 22 year olds, Marcus and Gail Burns’ passion for food and wine was ignited during their first trip to Italy. Since returning there 26 years later and reuniting with friends and families, some of their greatest joys include making tortellini with Franca, making salumi with Livio and picking grapes with Marco at the Volpe winery. The passion displayed by their artisan friends was contagious and it encouraged them to develop their own vineyard in Tasmania, where Marcus’s family has grown apples and pears for three generations. At La Villa, named after Emilia-Romagna where they lived, their grapes are lovingly grown, hand pruned and hand picked before being crafted into premium wine under the watchful eye of wine makers, Fran Austin and Shane Holloway. Whilst their inspirations comes from years living in Italy, their endeavour will always be to produce wines that reflect the unique characteristics of the cool climate in Tasmania.