Each year, ANZAC Day offers a moment to pause and reflect on the courage and sacrifice of those who served, and who gave their lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy today. For me, it’s also a day to reflect on my own years of service, the mateship and the path that eventually led toCamino Wine Co.
I grew up in suburban Melbourne, in a home where wine wasn’t part of the story. My Dad drank Melbourne Bitter or port from a flagon, and our dinner conversations revolved around footy and fishing, not wine and food.
After school at Yarra Valley Grammar, I joined the Australian Army. I spent 13 years in Air Defence Artillery, serving at the 16th Air Defence Regiment in Woodside, in the Adelaide Hills. That time gave me more than just a career, it instilled discipline, resilience, a strong work ethic, and a sense of pride that I was part of something bigger. In 1994, I was honoured to receive the Soldier’s Medallion for Most Outstanding Soldier from General Peter Cosgrove, definitely a career highlight. More importantly, it gave me lifelong mates, many of whom bought the first bottles of Camino when it was released. Thanks boys!
The following year, everything changed. A serious training accident nearly cost me my lower leg and after 15 surgeries, I was left facing the hard question: what next?
After extensive rehabilitation, I joined a military tour of WWI battlefields in Europe. The experience was deeply moving. I’ll never forget the Remembrance Day service at the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium.
But it wasn’t just the battlefields that left a lasting impression. I remember travelling through the wine regions of France and Italy and falling in love with the landscape and the rich wine culture. To me it had everything, rolling hills, terraced vineyards, centuries-old estates passed down through families, telling stories through every bottle. That idea stuck: wine isn’t just about drinking. It’s a living archive and about preserving a moment in time. I was hooked!
When I returned to Australia, I enrolled in Oenology at the University of Adelaide and the rest is history. I am grateful for my time in the Australian Army and the introduction to the European vineyards that it provided me. Camino Wine Co is ultimately the result. A path steeped in service, connection, and legacy.
This ANZAC Day, I’ll be attending the final Dawn Service at 16AD Regiment before the unit relocates. It will be a poignant farewell to a place that helped shape my story. I’ll be remembering the fallen, honouring those still serving and also raising a glass to the trip that set me on a new adventure.
Lest we forget.
Jason x
