By JONATHON HOWARD
ANGELO Puglisi turns 70 this month and the milestone has led him to reflect on his achievements over the last 45 years in both winemaking and tourism in the Granite Belt.
So how is Angelo these days? A question asked at the cellar door every day and we suspect that people imagine that he is quietly retired and enjoying the good life – after all, he’s been around for a long time. Well, nothing could be further from the truth.
Angelo continues to tend his beloved vineyard seven days a week, 12 hours a day, which in his own words means that he is ‘semi-retired’.
Over the years at Ballandean Estate, Angelo has never lost his passion for the industry.
But what is it about the Granite Belt that keeps him enthusiastic and innovative?
“Probably the fact that the area has grown and continues to surprise, despite the ‘knockers’ over the years. According to many, the Granite Belt is burgeoning; well we have been burgeoning for a bloody long time!” He laughs.
“I have been told many times, that ‘you can’t do that’ or ‘you shouldn’t grow this’, but we did anyway and the region has continued to be successful.”
Luckily for Angelo, many of his colleagues share his ‘maverick’ attitude and a great outcome of this is the successful ‘Strangebird’ trail.
Don’t tell them they shouldn’t grow it in the Granite Belt, because they probably will.
So what does Angelo want for his birthday? Well, it’s simple really. He would like everyone to share a glass of wine with family and friends and toast to the good life because that’s what he will be doing on the big day.
