Calabria Family Wines’ head winemaker Bill Calabria received the award at a gala lunch at Pier One in Sydney in front of members of the NSW wine industry, of which he had been a part for more than 45 years. He started working with his father in the family winery before taking the reins in 1977 and growing it to be one of NSW’s largest wineries.

Mr Calabria said he was humbled and honoured to receive the Graham Gregory Award, and follow in the footsteps of 23 of the NSW wine industry’s greatest contributors.

“You don’t set out in the winery every day hoping to receive a personal accolade but I’m proud to receive this award, and have loved crafting and championing the wines of the Riverina and NSW,” Mr Calabria said.

“As the name suggests Calabria Family Wines is truly a family business with my wife Lena and four children Frank, Michael, Andrew and Elizabeth all involved, alongside our ‘extended’ family in the winemaking, cellar door, viticulture and production teams.”

Mr Calabria’s success in the industry is in spite of an allergy to alcohol which sees him never actually drinking his wines and always using a spittoon when tasting.

Calabria Family Wines also received 12 medals at the NSW Wine Awards for wines from their 3 Bridges range, Cool Climate Series and Calabria Private Bin and Richland range.

The company was established by Mr Calabria’s parents Francesco and Elizabeth in 1945. The youngest of nine children, Bill worked with his father in what was then a small bulk-producing winery. He quickly found his passion for winemaking and had dedicated his life to the industry. In 2013, he received an Order of Australia for his work within the wine industry and dedication to philanthropy.

The Graham Gregory Award is given out annually at the NSW Wine Awards. The special award is a peer-recognised award for honourable contributions which advance the NSW wine industry. The NSW Wine Awards were created to build awareness of the quality of the wines created in the State.