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‘Life isn’t about finding yourself; life is about creating yourself’
– George Bernard Shaw
About me
My love for good food and wine started early..
My father (Papà) and grandfather (Nonno) began selling their first load of produce trading as D&G Scarfo in 1953, selling peas and potatoes.
I have a strong sense of nostalgia of my parent’s decades long supply of peas to Adelaide’s grocers that was commemorated in the People, Stories for the Adelaide Central Market’s Centenary.
My late father Domenic Scarfo, as featured in the Adelaide Central Market ‘Stories, People and Recipes’, P. 457
Peas were harvested in spring, when the sun was gentle and warm, my siblings and I would join our parents in grabbing four lines of peas that stretched 100 metres ahead, armed with a 20-litre makeshift bucket to pick our quotas of around 50 kgs per person for the day up against the adult average 100kgs per day.
Continuing over several decades, Dad made three trips per week to the Adelaide Produce Markets, selling peas, potatoes, swedes and turnips.
I remember going to the original Old East End Markets as a 10-year-old, at 3am hearing the trade bell ring and then the calls of the other producers yelling out their prices to get attention of the merchants. There was a sense of urgency to sell their produce, trying to catch the best price before market trading finished.
The most striking memory was feeling the heartbeat and soul of the market during trade. The traders, growers and merchants were a community collective; together they carried a strong sense of kinship and comradery way beyond their produce.
We were part of the mid-sized farming community in the Fleurieu region with an expansive 100 ac Myponga property with 5 large paddocks where crops were rotated with cows to help fertilise the sandy loose Myponga soil.
As poor immigrant Italians, we were completely self-sufficient on our own produce. We had goats, pigs, chickens and pigeons and the occasional sheep including a hand made wood oven for baking our own bread.
Moving to Willunga in 1981 was a strategic move – Dad was excited to reduce his hour and a half commute to the market three times a week and secondly, the property boasted clay Biscay soil that offered more flavoursome crops. Not to mention the sticky mud to go with it, as shown when Dad was featured in the Root Vegetables episode of ‘The Cook and the Chef’ (Season 3, Episode 25). Maggie Beer was shown with muddy boots, as they were foraging for swedes for her featured dish.
The slightly warmer climate also allowed further diversification and we moved into growing parsnips, carrots, beetroot, onions and pumpkins.
Utilising both properties, a total of 180 ac, the family were producing over 15 tonne of fresh vegetables to market per week at peak production.
Dad loved having something of everything, and he also planted a significant pistachio orchard along with several varieties of stone fruits, citrus, walnuts, apples, figs, cherries and avocados. Many friends and family would come to the farm to stock up on farm fresh produce, sharing a coffee and biscotti once the goods were bundled into the car.
The farm also attracted farm gate buyers, which would often be locals wanting fresher produce than the stores offered.
When Zannie Flanagan visioned Australia’s first Farmers Market in Willunga in 2002, my parents were one of the small group of 18 founding producers. The market was held in the Alma Hotel Car park in its early days, quickly becoming popular, forcing it to move to larger sites to where is stands now at the Willunga High School. My sister Sarina took charge of this stall, that is still running 21 years later under the name of Virgara’s Garden with her husband Francesco. They now also trade at the Victor Harbor Markets and Adelaide Farmers Markets.
My sister Sarina Virgara, as featured in 'Faces & Food of the Fleurieu' Pg. 175
Photo credit: Josie Withers
Virgara's Garden
Sarina and Francesco carry the passion for farm-fresh seasonal produce that includes their own olive oil from locally grown olives.
Famous for their range that remains fresh for longer in the crisper, their love of good food begins with the best of seasonal quality produce.
They take an agile approach in creating interest and diversity by introducing new product lines, being one of the first to introduce the Romanesco cauliflower. They love to spend time to speak to their customers, teaching them about different produce, its provenance but also diverse ways to cook it.
‘Siamo tutti contadini’ on their branded shirts literally means ‘We are all Farmers’.
It reflects the custodianship we all have towards the land and the produce it provides for our sustenance. Moreover, it demonstrates the care and land respect for the produce, but also letting nature guide how we should live.
‘Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail’
- Muriel Strode.
Vince, pictured in the early days (circa 1997) as featured in Barbara Santich's 'McLaren Vale Sea and Vines'. Photo by Christo Reid. Diana Olive Oil quickly won many accolades such as SA Processor of the Year, and best EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) year on year. Now the business is under the stewardship of my two nephews Domenic & Anthony Scarfo, as featured in 'Faces & Food of the Fleurieu' Pg. 155
Photo credit: Josie Withers
Diana Olive Oil
This was a passion project of my father, carried to Australia by his early memories as a 10-year-old working in a ‘frantoio’ or olive press back in the old Italy.
He observed the traditional way to extract the cold pressed liquid gold, also learning a lot about storing, trading and the value of oil in the world of gastronomy.
He bought this vision to Willunga, by establishing Diana Olive Oil in 1989 for my brother Vince to manage.
The first set up was using traditional methods of manufacturing, labour intensive, but very minimalist in order to let the olive oil be its natural best.
Vince’s first clients were streams of Italians and Greeks, often bringing whole families to press their olives taken from sides of the roads and their micro-orchards they had on family blocks.
This cottage industry was becoming buoyant but not commercial and Vince realising the opportunity was able to scale up production by sourcing the latest version of semi-automated Pieralisi machinery directly from Italy.
He quickly established himself as a quality producer, chasing larger production as well a consulting out his expertise that includes being on tasting panels, advisory boards to grow and lead this new industry.
Vince was a visionary who left a hole in the family and the industry with his tragic passing in February of 2014.
Today, the businesses is well governed by my nephew Dom Scarfo as General Manager. He quicky picked up about the industry, oil and its nuances, leading Diana Olive Oil into its next phase of its growth with intensive olive oil orchards on leading oil varieties of arbosana and arberquina.
‘A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take’
- Gaspard Mermillod
My mother in front of the 30 year old pistachio orchard. Photo credit Mark Brake
The nucleus of the family is my mother. She was always in the background, making everything function with ease.
Formally uneducated, but informally was rich with love and knowledge of tradition, and of the old Italy she fondly remembers but left behind at 25 years old after marrying my father.
She would recite relevant proverbs for the moment, knew everything worth knowing about her family, the land she works each and every day, and a master in the kitchen preparing a beautiful meal from freshly picked produce from the fields or the just slaughtered farm animal.
And she could tie a bunch of swedes or beetroots with such efficient swiftness, it was hard to not be impressed.
She is pictured here in front of the pistachio orchard that she lovingly cares for and harvests for the interstate buyers that come year on year.
Harvested in Autumn, dried on the tree by the heat, they have two outer casings before reaching the green, tender and flavoursome pistachio nut frequently used in middle eastern dishes.
At home, these are dried and eaten as snacks, often unsalted, that go well with her dried figs that she has dried, also in the Autumn sun.
Photo credit; Mark Brake
'That which is loved is always beautiful'
- Norwegian Proverb
My story is one of thousands of children from immigrant families. We were often mis-understood, left alone in the playground at school because of our broken English, eating ‘smelly food’ at lunchtime that was often grilled eggplant and capsicum, dripping with home-made olive oil on homemade thick crusty bread.
I still to this day make my own homemade passata at a minimum and when time permits make olives, pasta and bread.
My rich cultural upbringing is a gift I have from my family who instilled their natural love of creating good food from the land that bears seasonal gifts.
One of my favourite books that tells a strikingly candid and frank view of farming in Australia is Gabrielle Chan’s book ‘Why you should give a f*ck about farming’.
Chan writes ‘If you eat, you have a stake in how and where food is grown’. I resonate strongly to that and encourage everyone to learn where your food comes from. Get to know your local producer; or grocer who will be in turn supporting local farmers. The Farmers Markets are bursting with proud producers that will be only to happy to share their knowledge and passion for their produce.
Eating and supporting local will not only keep the economy buoyant, but your also tasting what is both in season that has the highest nutritional value as it has not had to travel thousands of miles. For that, it will also taste better, and you will have a healthier and better relationship with food.
Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.
- Steve Jobs
DiFabio Estates | Terrara Vineyards
I married into a wine family in 1995 who carried the same story as my own immigrant family from Italy. The DiFabio family chose viticulture as their domain and love, purchasing their first vineyard in 1966 in McLaren Flat. The family farmed a mix of stone fruits with vineyards as was common in the region during its early days. Over time; vineyards became the main source of income and the family quickly settled into the rhythm of viticulture along with many other small and medium family holdings.
However, the peaks and troughs of selling grapes was much more volatile than expected and the family’s livelihood was challenged in the 1980’s with grape oversupply. The government intervened and consequently, a significant amount of bush vines in the region were destroyed through the Vine Pull scheme. The Di Fabio’s chose to continue on and worked their way through this difficult time, consequently preserving some of the regions now oldest bush vine Grenache and Shiraz.
In 2001, the family took the opportunity to diversify the business by establishing a wine crushing facility in McLaren Flat. With early customers, the facility quicky grew where I joined in 2004 to establish back-office systems and processes to support full winery operations and clients’ wine portfolios. I learnt a lot about wine and wine manufacturing including the fermentation and maturation process. I also was lucky to work with some of Australia’s leading winemakers and labels that includes the 2005 Jimmy Watson Award winning 2004 Reserve Shiraz by Geoff Merrill Wines.
Circumstances led me to leave the winery and subsequently my marriage in 2016 but I remain involved in the vineyards to this day.
Love what you do, do what you love.
Photo credit; Mark Brake
We live in a bountiful country with such diversity in food, cultures, and stunning places to visit. The primarily Mediterranean climate of South Australia lends itself to an abundance of outstanding wines, olive oil and food producers, you are truly spoilt for choice with outstanding restaurants across all of our regions.
South Australia produces 50% of Australia’s total annual grape production with over 3,000 vineyard holders supplying nearly 700 wineries. Within that are some of the oldest producing vines, Australia’s oldest wineries and half of the Australian First Families of Wine.
With over 200 cellar doors to visit, the diversity of the regions, varieties, sub climates and geography offer a broad range of world class wines and tasting experiences.
The three main regions near the Adelaide CBD are:
Adelaide Hills – Traditional home of the Peramangk people.
The charming Adelaide Hills is the youngest of the three regions and its cooler climate and elevated position creates the perfect environment for whites such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and reds such as Pinot Noir..
Barossa Valley – Traditional home of the Peramangk, Ngadjuri and Kaurna people.
Barossa has rich wine and cultural heritage with many sixth-generation grape growers and winemakers that craft great wines from Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache.
McLaren Vale – Traditional home of the Kaurna People.
Close to the cooling Southern Ocean, McLaren Vale region is known for its innovative approach to winemaking and sustainability. Key varieties are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache but with new trailblazers such as Fiano, Vermentino and Sangiovese.
Photo credit; Mark Brake at Chalk Hill Winery
Below are some of my favourites and this list is constantly growing. I also love exploring smaller producers that hand craft their small batch wines.
Regional Restaurants
Salopian Inn – McLaren Vale
d’Arrys Verandah – McLaren Vale
Vasarelli’s – McLaren Vale
The Lane Vineyard – Adelaide Hills
Harvest Kitchen – Barossa Valley
Fino – Barossa Valley
Barossa Valley Cellar Doors
Hentley Farm, Seppeltsfield, Henschke Wines, Two Hands Wines, Penfolds, Eisenstone, Seppeltsfield, Jim Barry Wines, Yalumba, Grant Burge, Alkina Wine, Chateau Tanunda, Rockford, Charles Melton, Tim Smith Wines, Turkey Flat Vineyards
McLaren Vale Cellar
Doors
Wirra Wirra Wines, Chalk Hill Wines, D’Arenberg Wines, Samuels Gorge, Coriole, Kays Bros, Olivers Taranga, Richard Hamilton, Primo Estate, Bekkers, SC Pannell, Geoff Merrill Wines, Shingleback, Fox Creek Wines, Maxwells, Hugh Hamilton
Adelaide Hills Cellar Doors
The Lane Vineyard, Deviation Road, Bird in Hand Winery, Artwine, Petaluma, Murdoch Hill, Shaw + Smith, Thistledown Wines, Geoff Weaver