Aaron Salvestrin pleaded guilty to fraud charges in Sydney court

Former Griffith winemaker and businessman Aaron Salvestrin pleaded guilty in a Sydney court on Tuesday to three fraud-related offenses, a step that moves a long-running case tied to the collapse of his wine company, Sans Pareil Estate, into the sentencing phase.

Salvestrin, 31, entered guilty pleas at Downing Centre Local Court to two charges of dishonestly intending to obtain a gain and one charge of using a forged document to induce a public official to accept it as genuine, according to Region Riverina. After the pleas were entered, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew 16 remaining charges of dishonestly intending to obtain a gain.

The court committed Salvestrin to the New South Wales District Court for sentencing. A short administrative hearing is scheduled for August 3, when procedural matters are expected to be addressed before a sentencing date is set. His existing bail conditions remain in place.

The criminal matter follows earlier civil proceedings linked to the failure of Sans Pareil Estate, a Hanwood-based wine business Salvestrin launched in 2018 when he was 23. The company went into liquidation four years later with debts to the Australian Taxation Office estimated at $32 million.

In March 2024, the New South Wales Supreme Court ordered Salvestrin to repay just over $8.4 million after finding that he had made what Justice Anthony McGrath described in a published ruling as “unreasonable director-related transactions” while running the company.

Region Riverina reported that the liquidation recovered less than 15% of the money owed. Among the assets sold was a rare 2014 McLaren P1 supercar signed by Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo, which fetched $1.47 million during the process. Salvestrin declared bankruptcy seven days after the Supreme Court ruling.

The case has drawn attention in Australia’s wine sector because it involves not only the collapse of a producer but also allegations tied to financial gain and forged documentation. While the criminal charges concern Salvestrin personally, cases like this can sharpen scrutiny across the beverage industry around record-keeping, traceability and proof-of-origin controls, and may add pressure on wineries and other drinks businesses to strengthen compliance systems.

Salvestrin had previously appeared in court several times as the matter moved through preliminary stages. At an earlier hearing in August 2025, he was granted bail on strict conditions that included reporting daily to Dee Why Police Station between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., surrendering any passports, not applying for new travel documents and not entering any point of departure from Australia, including airports.

Once described locally as a rising figure in winemaking, Salvestrin now lives in Sydney and will remain on bail pending the next District Court hearing.