Elle Cecil
As the winner of the 2022 Geelong Business Excellence Awards’ (GBEAs) Regional Business Award, del Rios Winery and Restaurant has a rich history in the area.
Having emigrated from Spain in the 1960s and finding a new home in the Geelong region, Agustin ‘Gus’ del Rio loved riding horses through the Brisbane Ranges. Upon needing somewhere to keep his horses, Gus purchased land in Anakie in 1994. Together with wife Esther and sons Andres, Josh and Marcus, the family planted their first vines in 1996, which ultimately spanned 37 acres.
The early 2000s saw the winery aspect of the business emerge strongly, with all vines hand pruned and cared for, and grapes all handpicked.
Further land was purchased in 2010 with several acres of vines, as well as a small restaurant, allowing for additional expansion into the hospitality industry.
Now, driven by a strong love of quality food and wine, the del Rio family continue to pour their hearts into the business, described by commercial manager Josh del Rio as their ‘passion project.’
“The vines we grow, the wine we make and the food we serve is, to us, the best expression of what we love, and we’re doing so in a sustainable, handcrafted, artisan way,” Josh explains.
Also producing their own liqueurs and vinegars as well as raising sheep and cows for the restaurant’s beef and lamb supply, Josh and the team at del Rios Winery and Restaurant are excited to have received the GBEAs’ 2022 Regional Business Award, sponsored by Gartland Property.
“This is the first year we’ve entered, so it’s really nice for the team to be acknowledged and recognised for all their hard work,” says Josh.
“The entry process is very straightforward, and the process broadens your perspective a bit – you start thinking about what you do relative to people in and out of your industry.
“We’ve also had some really good brand recognition from the awards night. Just the other day we booked a large function for one of the evening’s sponsors!”
The 2022 Geelong Business Excellence Awards were proudly sponsored by LBW Business + Wealth Advisors, celebrating clever, creative and connected businesses in Geelong and the Bellarine, as well as the Surf Coast, Queenscliff and Golden Plains regions.
