yellow tail Merlot 2015 (12 x 750mL), SE AUS.

The Casella family arrived in Australia from Sicily in 1957, bringing with them not only generations of family wine making, but the know-how to produce wines that are more than simply a drink with dinner. Yep, they had a vision for Australian wine drinkers.Sure, there was plenty of elbow work along the way, but with their experience and wine knowledge put to use, the Casellas set about developing their fledgling wine company.

It all started with the Casellas recognising the great potential of the Riverina region in New South Wales – the area speaks with brightly flavoured fruit and offers wines of great drinkability. So, in 1965, they bought land near the township of Yenda outside of Griffith in New South Wales, and here they began their grape growing.

Grape growing became wine making, and wine making needed a winery, so we go a few more years down the track and in 1969 their winery was born. After years of toil and great success the Casellas took another step in 2001 with the creation of [yellow tail], a new and fun wine brand that spoke to modern drinkers and wine lovers the world over. And the fireworks began…

Still, the Casellas have never lost sight of their humble beginnings, even as [yellow tail] continues to take the world by storm. The wines are found in more than 50 countries around the world. Meanwhile, [yellow tail] is Australia's number one wine exporter, and has become the top selling wine in Canada and the USA. And still, the Casellas stay true to their family business. Today, the day-to-day operations of the winery are run by the three Casella sons - John, Managing Director and Winemaker; Joe, Australian Sales Director; and Marcello, Director and Vineyard Operations Director.