I had a lovely time on Wednesday night with the Calabria family as they marked 80 years of winemaking.
They’re a good-looking bunch …
That’s Elisabeth Calabria on the left and Andrew Calabria on the right.
And their wines are pretty fabulous too – they’ve had the same winemaker, Emma Norbiato (middle), for more than 15 years, which says a lot about them.
Emma arranged the most unexpected but delicious line-up of wines for the dinner, which was held at Neil Perry’s new Italian restaurant, Gran Torino.
There were even some industry icons in attendance, including Sally Evans (daughter of wine legend Len Evans) and Andrew Calliard (who recently won the 2025 Maurice O’Shea Award in honour of his 45-year career in the Australian wine industry).
We started off with oysters and the winery’s Belena Prosecco, which might just be one of the best proseccos I have ever tasted.
Apparently the grapes were harvested in the cool of the night, with the juice clarified then fermented at cool and steady temperatures. The result is a balanced wine with subtle notes of passionfruit and lemongrass.
I was surprised when Emma chose to accompany our antipasti with Calabria Three Bridges Botrytis Semillon Riverina, a wine that is traditionally associated with dessert. But it was a long way from the heavy, sweet wines that are usually served at the end of meals and I really enjoyed sipping it.
I’m in good company with my appreciation, as it was awarded Sweet Wine Varietal Winner of the Year at the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion Awards.
Lots of awesome wines followed, matched with wonderful food. My favourite dish was the Pumpkin Tortellini with Burnt Butter and Sage, which tasted like explosions of sweet joy in my mouth.
And I made two new besties with the women who were seated on either side of me for dinner.
As for the Calabria Family Wines story, it began in 1945 when founders Francesco and Elisabetta Calabria immigrated to Australia from Italy and purchased land in Griffith for fruit farming.
There have been some rollercoaster moments since then, from the low of the Recession to the high of purchasing the historic McWilliam’s Wines brand and Hanwood Winery a few years ago.
I first spoke to Andrew Calabria for a Drinks Digest article back in 2021, when he said: “During the recession in the 80’s, it was a very hard time to be in the wine industry and we were impacted heavily.
“Dad and Mum were washing bottles for other wineries just to keep food on the table and prevent us from having to close. Despite the challenges and setbacks over the years, wine has always been a central part of our family and business lives.
“The wine industry is such an innovative space to be in right now so despite the hard work and occasional challenges I think I speak for the family in saying that there’s no other job we would rather do.”
The celebration also included the unveiling of an exclusive Calabria 80th Anniversary Limited Edition Durif Vintsge Port.
Durif – a red wine originally sourced from France – is a signature varietal for Calabria. The berries produced are small and concentrated and perform best in warm, sunny areas, which why the family has so much success with it in Griffith.
As 10pm approached, I said my weary goodbyes to my lovely hosts and asked an influencer to show me how to book my second-ever Uber, as the eldest sorted out my first-ever Uber on my phone when I was in Melbourne.
Digital communications manager by day. Luddite by night.
The restaurant was located in Double Bay and I always enjoy a visit there, it feels so village-y and fancy. It’s the first place I worked in Sydney – I got a job as a feature writer at Studio Magazines, across from Gran Torino on Bay Street. That’s where I also met my wonderful friend Wendy, who is still one of the most treasured people in my life almost 35 years later.
PS Thank you to my sister for letting the dogs out for me so I didn’t have to head home after work then hustle straight back across the city to the event.
PPS There was a slightly awkward moment at the end of the evening when I thanked the winemaker and noted that I’d never tried one of the varietals served before. “Ca … something” I said. “Calabria?” she queried, looking a little taken aback. Oh no, she thinks I’ve forgotten the name of the winery! How mortifying. I hastily explained I was talking about Carignan, which is featured in the winery’s Saint Petri Shiraz Carignan.
Unlike that uncool moment, it’s a very cool wine – a blend of two grape varieties from three vineyards in the Barossa Valley. The Carignan fruit is sourced from two vineyard blocks, one old and one young. The older block is a circa 1914 planting and the vines are tagged and hand picked vine by vine. The Shiraz selected for the wine are over 50 years of age.
Lucky me getting to try it! But I’m looking forward to tonight being a quiet one.
Song of the day: Franki Valli “Oh, what a night”
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