House debates

Monday, 21 November 2016

Statements by Members

Boothby Electorate: Patritti Wines

1:56 pm

Photo of Nicolle FlintNicolle Flint (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

In my maiden speech I noted that it was a particular honour to be elected this year because 2016 marks a number of public and personal anniversaries relating to my electorate of Boothby. One of those is the 90th anniversary of Patritti Wines. Patritti Wines was founded by Giovanni Patritti in 1926. He had left his home in Italy in 1925, bound for America. I am guessing it was somewhat of a surprise to him when he instead landed in Port Adelaide, South Australia.

Mr Patritti began leasing vineyards in Brighton, built a winery in the early 1930s and, by the late 1940s, owned a number of vineyards. In the 1970s, the next generation of Patrittis began making 100 per cent natural nonalcoholic sparkling grape juice from wine grape juice, in addition to a range of wines. Today, this forms a large part of their exports to markets such as China and Vietnam, as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Deputy Prime Minister learnt when we toured Patritti Wines.

Today, the third generation of Patrittis still work in the original winery and cellar door and are now the only fully operational, 100 per cent family-owned winery and cellar door located in an Australian capital city.

As Boothby residents and community groups know, managing director, Ines Patritti, is a generous-hearted community leader and, as a successful entrepreneurial business woman, is a personal inspiration to me. I congratulate them on their 90th anniversary this year.