u r t o r y
Our Story
o w I t A l e g a n
Mark’s parents, Guy and Betty Renzaglia planted their first grape vines on their new vineyard site in Alto Pass, Illinois in 1982. At the time, Alto Pass was a dry county (no alcohol production or sales allowed) and the grape industry of Illinois was virtually non-existent. It’s safe to say there was some considerable push back to the idea of the establishment of a vineyard and winery in the area. During the early years of Alto Vineyards, Mark and his “Aussie wife” Sandy got a taste of the challenge and gratification of the grape and wine industry as they spent their youthful energy assisting “Alto” in its early development.
Fast forward three generations and wine making has entwined itself within Renzaglia DNA. In 1997, back in Australia, Mark and Sandy planted their first small acreage of grapes. This became their Bella Luna vineyard in the O’Connell Valley, NSW. There were no other vineyards in the O’Connell Valley at that time, as was the case for Guy and Betty in Alto Pass.
Nowadays, Sam is on board full time in the vineyard and winery. His passion for the grape and wine industry is undeniable and the future of the operation is bright.
The Bella Luna Vineyard has more than doubled in size since 2020; leases endure at the Mt Panorama Estate (2011), Winooka Park (2021) and Casey’s Vineyard (2023) with the total vineyard managed spanning 7 hectares as of 2025.
The wine is produced at the Bella Luna Vineyard and Winery in O’Connell. Constructed in 2019, the new building and conversion of our old shed into a winery has allowed us to produce the wines at the doorstep of the family home overlooking the Wambuul Valley.
