ABOUT US
Guiseppe and Agostina Sanctus were born in the north of Italy and migrated to the Hunter Valley in Australia in 1953. They arrived just in time for the birth of their first child; a daughter named after her mother but nicknamed Gussy. Guiseppe and Agostina both worked hard at various jobs and by 1962 had scraped together enough money to buy their property “Serena” in the rolling hills of Pokolbin; today recognised as one of the best wine producing soils not only in the Hunter Valley but in the World.
By this stage the couple’s other two children Christobel and Cordelia were born. With Agostina busy with the girls Guiseppe supported his family by farming his land and becoming the local handyman. Rich in money they were not but their family was known as one of the closest and happiest in the Valley. In keeping with Italian hospitality, their parties were legendary with Guiseppe always making sure that in addition to all the home grown produce, there was plenty of wine to go around from the small vineyard he had planted on his property.
Made in true Italian style, friends were invited around for the stomping of the grapes and the bottling of the wine and of course another celebration was held when it was ready to drink.
In the early 80s, demand for wine in Australia was constant and “Serena” was transformed into a Vineyard with its Chardonnay, Semillon and Merlot grapes in high demand. Agostina and Guiseppe had always encouraged the girls to become a part of the burgeoning wine industry. As much as they loved their girls, it became apparent from an early age that they were not going to marry well, so they gave them the gift of a sound work ethic and the confidence to believe in themselves. Their prediction was right but notwithstanding being unlucky in love, all three of the girls have been blessed with marvellous personalities and like their parents they are the life of any party.
Instead of hiding behind the affectionate nickname given to them by all that know them, the girls decided to change the name of their award winning wine to the name they are collectively known as - the 3 ugly sisters.
Giuseppe unfortunately passed away when he was 85 however Agostina is still in good health and manages to cook up a storm most days, especially if friends come to stay at Serena with her and the girls.
Christobel has always had an interest in all variety of grapes generally and she now sources grapes from a number of Regions including the Margaret River, Clare and Barossa Valleys as well as the Marlborough Region in New Zealand. Christobel has an excellent palate whilst Cordelia’s passion lies in nurturing the grapes. With the expansion of the grape variety a bottle or two of 3 Ugly Sisters is fast becoming essential to a lot of cellars. Most sales occur over the Net but with our recent expansion, our wines can be found at some outlets including Sydney’s premium Seafood Restaurant – Peter Doyle@ The Quay. Peter is a great friend of the girls and the son of the late Peter Doyle Snr who also has a vineyard at Pokolbin. Peter Snr loved to come and sit on the veranda with Giuseppe and watch the sun go down with a glass of red.
The girls hope that you have as much passion in drinking their wines as they have in making them. Profiles of the girls and their helpers are included in the website and as is their usual way, they have made many friends with their subscribers. The 3 Ugly Sisters degustation dinners are always popular and the girls enjoy them as it gives them the opportunity to meet the people who love their wine as much as they do. Our good friend Peter holds these for us at his restaurant at Peter Doyle@ the Quay and at his Hotel at Watsons Bay. Always remember to enjoy the “Ugly’s” wine in moderation but understand there will be times when you just can’t help yourselves.
Cordelia Sanctus