Back in 2009, Justin Bubb had spent almost a decade in Italy leading the transformation of the winemaking at the famed winery Castello di Gabbiano. He had been sent there to help improve the winemaking and to be a conduit for the Australian owners at the time (Southcorp). Originally only planning to stay for a short period, Justin was instrumental in growing the winery. He was also able to spend time working vintage in some of the most famed wine regions of Italy, including Piedmont, Veneto and Sicily.

His time in Europe also helped him see an opportunity to bring great quality Italian wines back to Australia. Having decided to return to Australia with his new wife Anna, he sketched out what he wanted to do:

• Produce great value Italian wines, so more Australians could fall in love with Italian wine (like he had).
• Shake any stuffy or old-fashioned stereotypes of Italian wine by offering contemporary wine styles that suit the wine-savvy palates of Australia.
• Continue working with an amazing network of growers and maintain the deep connection he had with his adopted country.

Taking an Italian nickname for a tool that measures ‘baume’ in fruit, BABO was born.