HISTORY
From Italy to Australia
Times were good for the Tornielli’s until World War II which left them decimated. Looking for new beginnings, in 1959 the family moved to the coast of Genoa following the marriage of Ed’s grandfather, Rinaldo and Maddalena, the heiress of an esteemed Genovese family. The family Vineyards in Italy entered a share farming agreement with local wineries who nowadays use their grapes to produce prestigious wines under their label.
The latest vintage of Italian wine bottled under the family name dates back to 1966. With a 50-year gap and one generation who drifted away from the wine business. Ed, the last of his name, moved to Australia in 2014 to establish new roots for a new life away from Europe.
With great excitement over Australia’s excellent vine-growing qualities and wine varieties, he rolled back his sleeves in the attempt to have the Tornielli name, once again, deliver fine wines.
The idea is to remain loyal to Australia's most iconic grape varieties while implementing specific adjustments in the growing methods and the vinification process integrating our century-old Italian traditions with techniques from the New World.
1945
1959
1966
End of World War II
The family relocates to Genoa
Production of the last batch of Tornielli Wine in Italy
The family has been granted the title of Marquis and has been knighted
Traditional Winemaking
1824
With their first bottling run’s hailed a success around 500 years ago at the turn of the 16th century, the Tornielli family and its winemaking traditions have historic roots. Living by its motto, PRO FIDE “PRO PATRIA PRO LIBERTATE ET HONOREPUGNANDUM” (meaning “Fighting for the native land, liberty and honor”), the family members were artists, scholars, and leaders, maintaining stability in the region while developing industry through law, politics, and wine. Amongst the first in their area to implement for their winery a wine screw press, cutting-edge technology for that time, the Tornielli family was innovative in the Italian wine industry. Their grape-crushing facility provided the surrounding population with easy access to cost-effective and time-saving winemaking solutions, spurring the creation of the countless wineries that sprouted over Northern Italy in that century.
Ed moves to Australia
The winemaking of the first vintage produced with Australian grapes begins
The first vintage of Tornielli
Family Wines is released
Old World VS New World
2014
2015
2017
Ed was born and raised in Italy, where he completed his Bachelor's degree in Law. He later pursued his passion for the food and beverage industry and enrolled in a Post-Graduate course in Food & Beverage Logistics. This led him to move to China, where he spent a few years and gained invaluable experience and knowledge in winemaking and international business.
Ed's ultimate goal is to establish a thriving winemaking business based on high-quality Australian grapes. He aims to restore his family's wines to the prestige they once held in Italy. The wines he produces are a perfect blend of Italian traditions and Australian viniculture, with unique notes of each country's culture. The result is a strong yet refined finish that appeals to wine lovers around the world.
Bringing a fresh and international perspective to an ancient art steeped in history and tradition, Ed is determined to make his wines stand out in the industry. He is committed to promoting his family's name and continuing to expand his business globally.
Production of the first batch of Italian wine
1500
The Tornielli family originates from Hungary, and their records trace back to the time of Frederick I, the Holy Roman Emperor who conquered and ruled over most of Italy during his first Italian war campaign (1154-55). Under his reign, the Tornielli family first ruled over the fiefs of Arona and Novara in 1171. During this period, the Torniellis distinguished themselves in the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, occupying prestigious ecclesiastical, military, and political positions.
In 1449, the family split into two branches: Tornielli "Di Borgolavezzaro" and "Di Barengo", with the former being among the first to build and operate a grape-press in the Piedmont region. In 1824, the family was officially recognized as Italian nobles with the title of Marquise, when Girolamo Tornielli Di Borgolavezzaro, was knighted in acknowledgment of his accolades as Senator of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
The Start of a Family Business
The family's first venture into the wine industry goes back to the split in 1449 when the Tornielli Di Borgolavezzaro moved to Sizzano, located in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, which was designated as a DOC in 1969. Even today, the Sizzano Villa houses the ancient Wooden Wine Press that was used to crush the grapes, as well as two historic frescoes in the main hall, commemorating the traditional wine-making process. Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour (1810-1861), was not only a renowned statesman and strategist, but also an esteemed connoisseur and collector of fine wines. The Tornielli family's outstanding wines from their Sizzano Villa impressed him so much that he personally invested in vineyards in the region, stating on several occasions that the wines were on par with, or even better than, the fantastic wines of French Burgundy.
