Michael Zaccaria grew up in a typical Italian-Australian household. His Calabrian grandfather opened a small music store in Melbourne just after World War II, building it up into a bigger business over the ensuing decades. Relatives of his father’s generation still grow grapes and make wine in Calabria. Wine – and music – was always a part of family life. So was vermouth, often drunk as a refreshing aperitivo. And various kinds of amaro, the strong, bittersweet liqueur often served in Italian restaurants and households to aid with digestion.
“Grandfather’s favourite drink on a hot day was a Bianco vermouth with soda,” remembers Zaccaria. “And Dad and my grandfather would always have an amaro after the meal every night. That’s what sparked my interest in those drinks: when you’re surrounded by something your whole life it imprints itself on your brain. And that interest became a passion.”
Zaccaria worked in the family’s music business for a while, but in 2017, he gave in to his passion and started his own wine import company, QuelVino. And as well as shipping a wide range of wines from Italy, he also decided to bring in Amari and vermouths, from producers as far apart as Piedmont and Sicily.
This story is from the March 2020 edition of Gourmet Traveller.
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This story is from the March 2020 edition of Gourmet Traveller.
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