Emo Michelini was part of the great post-war immigration wave that changed the face of rural Australia. Born among the high-altitude vineyards of northern Italy, Emo arrived in Sydney with his wife and young son in 1949, where he worked as a butcher for two years.

In 1952, he decided to try his hand farming tobacco with an uncle who lived at Buffalo River, near Myrtleford in north-east Victoria. "I had 50 Pounds and enough English to ask for a piece of bread," Emo said. "It was very poor here, very poor". "My plan was just to make 3000 to 4000 Pounds growing tobacco and go back to Italy." At that time, dairy farms were more common than tobacco crops in the Myrtleford valleys.

Emo began sharefarming with his uncle and other migrants, living in a tobacco kiln for the first six months before a house could be built. "There was nothing here," he said. "It was 10 miles from town and if you wanted to buy something you had to come in on a pushbike". "All the time we worked. On the farm there was always something to do. What choice did we have?" Emo earned extra money as a part-time butcher who delivered meat to other Italian families.

His efforts were rewarded when tobacco eventually became very profitable. By this time, Emo had lost a son. Two other children had been born. The idea of returning to Italy had begun to fade. In the 1950's he and others recognised that tobacco was not the only crop destined to thrive in their area. Eventually, in 1982, Emo signed a contract with Orlando to supply premium pinot noir and chardonnay grapes for use is sparkling wine. But the story doesn't end there. Emo wanted his own winery.

Today, the culmination of his toil stands on the Great Alpine Rd, producing wine for the Michelinis' own label and crushing grapes that are still sold to Orlando. Now, nearly 50 years on, Emo and his family own a thriving tobacco and vineyard and a winery in the main street of Myrtleford. With sons Ilario and Dino managing the family company, Emo's hardest years of work are over.. The story of his wines, however has just begun.