Unico Zelo
Adelaide Hills, SA
Unico Zelo
isommelier.co/producers/unico-zeloUnico Zelo is Australia's most exciting champion of alternative and Italian varieties — founders Brendan and Laura Carter are on a mission to prove that warm Australian climates are natural homes for the grapes of southern Italy, Sicily and Portugal.
Adelaide Hills, SA · Natural, Orange, Low Sulphur
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About Unico Zelo
Unico Zelo is Australia's most exciting champion of alternative and Italian varieties — founders Brendan and Laura Carter are on a mission to prove that warm Australian climates are natural homes for the grapes of southern Italy, Sicily and Portugal. Their Fiano, Nero d'Avola, Montepulciano and Verdejo are made with natural wine sensibilities and a joyful spirit that has won them devoted fans across the country. Accessible pricing and a willingness to experiment make Unico Zelo one of Australia's most important emerging wine voices.
Our Story
Brendan and Laura Carter founded Unico Zelo in 2012 with a deliberately contrarian premise: that Australia should be making wines from the varieties of Sicily and southern Italy, not just the classic French grapes. The warm, dry Adelaide Hills and Riverland climates, they argued, were natural partners for Fiano, Nero d'Avola, Montepulciano and Sagrantino — varieties that thrived in similarly Mediterranean conditions in their European homelands.
A decade on, the Carters have been vindicated many times over. Their wines are sought by the country's most progressive restaurants and wine bars, and their advocacy has inspired a new generation of South Australian producers to experiment with Italian and Iberian varieties. Made with natural wine sensibilities — wild ferment, minimal SO2, no fining or filtration — the wines are honest, expressive and remarkably good value. Unico Zelo is proof that Australian wine's most exciting chapter is still being written.
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Profile last updated: 24 March 2026 (auto-generated)