Honouring the Heart of Our Story Nonna Maria Laureti (1931-2026)
It is with heavy hearts, but lives enriched by her grace, that we share the passing of our matriarch, Nonna Maria Laureti.
She was 94 years old. She would have turned 95 on Wednesday 18 March - the same day her family gathered to say farewell. We find something quietly beautiful in that. A life that full deserves that kind of send-off.
Maria was the heart of the Laureti family. Wife to Alessandro, mother to Serge, Frank and Letty, grandmother to 10, great-grandmother to 11 - with two more little ones on the way who will grow up hearing her name and tasting her recipes. She was the quiet force behind everything Saddler's Creek has always stood for.
From Abruzzo to Australia
In 1955, Alessandro Laureti left the Abruzzo region of Italy and made the journey to Australia - a single suitcase, a lifetime of winemaking knowledge, and a dream of building something better. He had produced wine in Italy before he left - it was in his blood, part of the fabric of daily life.
Three years later, Maria followed with their young son Serge. The family was reunited on Australian soil, and within nine months, Franco arrived - the first true Australian-born Laureti. A new chapter, in a new country, around the same table they had always known.
They brought with them a way of living that Australia hadn't quite seen yet. A culture where there was never a meal without a glass of wine, where the table was always full, and where food was an act of love.
"Growing up there was never a meal without a glass of wine, it became the Laureti way of life." - Frank Laureti
That way of life became Saddler's Creek.
Sunday Was Her Day
Every Sunday, without fail, Maria cooked for her family. It wasn't obligation - it was devotion. She cooked right up until just a few months ago. She hand-rolled gnocchi. She simmered her sugo low and slow for hours. She taught her grandchildren to find patience in a pot of sauce, and love in the kneading of dough.
She wanted nothing for herself but to be close to her family and to put good food on the table. In doing so, she became the heartbeat of everything we do here.
Her Recipe, Her Legacy
Nonna's Sugo with Polpette - her meatballs in a rich tomato sauce - was the dish that defined Sunday at the Laureti table. It appears in the first edition of our Cook Like an Italian recipe book, a collection of family recipes passed down from Nonna Maria through the years.
We invite you to cook it for your family this week. Pour a glass of Montepulciano - just as she did. Let the sauce simmer low and slow. And think of her.
The Wine Named for Her
When we created the Maria Reserve, the name was never in question.
The Alessandro Reserve is our finest expression - named for her beloved husband, who produced wine in Italy long before Saddler's Creek existed. Each vintage, we hold back a portion of our best Semillon and Chardonnay and cellar age it for four or more years. When it is ready - softer, more graceful, more layered for the time it has spent quietly waiting - we release it as the Maria Reserve.
The parallel was always intentional. A great wine, like a great woman, reveals its finest qualities only with time.
Her Influence on Saddler's Creek
Maria was our inspiration for the Nonna's Long Lunch events over the years - long tables, shared plates, slow-cooked food, and the kind of conversation that stretches well past the last pour. That was her world. We simply tried to recreate it.
She lived with what Wendy describes as "profound acceptance." She believed kindness is the way. That the simplest pleasures - a shared meal, a heartfelt conversation, a moment of gratitude - are the ones that matter most.
She leaves behind a legacy that doesn't sit in a cellar or on a label. It lives in every table we set, every meal we share, and every glass raised in her name.
In Her Memory
Maria is survived by her children Serge, Frank and Letty, her 10 grandchildren and her 11 great-grandchildren - with two more on the way, who will carry her spirit forward without ever having to be told why.
Nonna didn't let a day pass without her one glass of wine with her meal. So tonight, pour your favourite wine and raise your glass in memory of our Nonna Maria.
Wendy, Serge, Frank, Irena, The Laureti Family and the Saddler's Creek Team
