Aaron Salvestrin was once touted as a “rising star of the Riverina wine scene”. Photo: Supplied.
A fraud case against a former Griffith winemaker has been delayed again after court hearings in both April and May 2026 ended with further adjournments granted.
Aaron Salvestrin, 31, is facing 16 counts of dishonestly obtaining a gain from a Commonwealth entity and one count of using a forged document for a public official to accept as genuine.
His case is being heard in the Sydney Downing Centre Local Court and remains in the early pre-trial stage.
At a hearing in March 2026, the Commonwealth prosecutor confirmed she had met with Mr Salvestrin’s lawyer at a case conference — a formal meeting where both sides discuss the charges and evidence before the matter progresses.
The court had indicated a committal hearing would be set in April. This is a stage where a magistrate considers whether there is enough evidence for the matter to proceed to a higher court for trial.
However, the April hearing was adjourned for four weeks at the request of lawyers, and a similar delay was again requested at a hearing on Tuesday (5 May). The case has now been listed to return on Tuesday, 2 June.
Legal experts say delays are common in complex fraud matters, particularly where large volumes of documents need to be reviewed before the case can move forward.
Late last year, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions determined there was sufficient evidence to proceed and served a brief of evidence on Mr Salvestrin’s legal team.
A case conference had originally been expected by December 2025, but the defence lawyer told the court the prosecutors’ evidence was “impossible to understand” and requested an eight-week delay for the Commonwealth to get its “house in order”.
Since then, the matter has had multiple court appearances without moving beyond preliminary stages.
A further delay was granted in February 2026 before the case conference eventually took place.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Judge Lucas Swan ordered that Mr Salvestrin remain on bail under the same conditions set in August 2025.
Those conditions require him to report daily to Dee Why Police Station between 8 am and 8 pm, surrender any passports and not attend any point of departure such as an airport.
He must also remain within the Sydney Northern Beaches postcode area, although he is allowed to travel to Griffith if he gives police 24 hours’ notice.
Mr Salvestrin founded the Hanwood-based winery Sans Pareil Estate in 2018. The company went into liquidation four years later, with alleged debts of more than $30 million.
