After graduating with an economics degree from the University of Western Australia, a banking career kept di Lusso owner Rob Fairall on the move in Europe, Africa, US and New Zealand for many years.

Returning to Sydney in the early 1990’s, the memories of travelling – on business as well as pleasure – through Italy whetted Rob’s appetite for something other than balance sheets, but it was during his four years in Wellington that he formed the vision of life as a vigneron.

Following four years of research and frequent travelling through the wine regions of Australia, Rob fell in love with Mudgee as a place to visit. Beautiful and far enough from Sydney to be peaceful, yet a growing destination for wine lovers, superfine wool growers (the Zegna family has a sheep farm in the region!), artists and graziers.

With an interesting history of Italian varietal grapes and wines going back more than ninety years, it didn’t take long for the di Lusso mission to get underway.

By 1999 the land just north of Mudgee had been bought and the chosen varieties planted. With the winery and cellar door coming on stream, Rob is just hanging on to a ‘blend’ of Sydney and Mudgee lifestyles. The former for making money, the latter for spending it!