generations of craftsmanship.
DiFabio Estate Wines is a family owned and operated business situated in the heart of the famous McLaren Vale region of South Australia. The DiFabio family has a long history of grape-growing and winemaking dating back to the family’s Italian origin.
Our aim is to produce high quality premium wines to accompany fine dining. This is achieved by having total control from the vineyard through to vinification and maturation.Wines are produced exclusively from our own vineyards, which are nurtured to give low yields and intensely concentrated flavours.
Having vineyards situated in different areas within the McLaren Vale region, diverse microclimates are experienced.
The majority of our vineyards are grown on deep sandy soils overlying gravely ironstone clays, which have good moisture retention, hence the little need for supplementary water.
Great wines start from the vineyard; therefore we believe there is no substitute for our ‘hands on’ approach.
the story began…
Not long after emigrating from Italy, our parents Giovanni and Maria purchased their first vineyard in 1966. The Shiraz vines from this vineyard are dated as far back as 1936, and they were soon supplying premium quality grapes to some of Australia’s leading wineries.
Vineyard work was very labour intensive, and in most vintages over 100 tonnes of fruit would be hand picked with only the assistance of their much valued Massey Ferguson tractor.
Their livelihood was challenged in the 1980’s with a wine oversupply, and during its peak, heartbreak came at the end of the vintage as they were forced to dump tonnes of fruit back into the vineyard simply because they couldn’t sell them. Some equilibrium was restored in the industry after the Vine Pull Scheme in 1985, and progressively they were able to make a living once again from their hard work.
Over the years, many more varieties were planted, with the majority of their vines still aged at more than 40 years old.
The Shiraz vines that were planted in 1936 are still producing to this day, and this fruit goes into the DiFabio Bush Vine Shiraz, and also the Geoff Merrill Reserve Shiraz, of which both have received numerous accolades and prestigious trophies.
Today the family owns approximately 140 acres in the McLaren Vale and the tightly held Blewitt Springs area, growing varieties such as Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Grenache, Mouvedre, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, including Hermitage Shiraz, planted in 1934 on their Blewitt Springs vineyard
the story continues.
Our winemaking team is headed by Goe DiFabio. Graduating from Roseworthy College in 1981, he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the business. Having completed numerous vintages both in Australia and Italy, Goe is also consultant winemaker to numerous other boutique wineries in the
McLaren Vale region.
Certain parcels of fruit from our vineyards are allocated to quality wineries such as D’Arenberg and Geoff Merrill Wines. This allows other winemakers to craft exceptional wines from our fruit, and impose their own style to the wine that is produced from our vineyard, and showcase McLaren Vale as a world class wine region.