Aaron Salvestrin is due to be sentenced over fraud charges in November. Photo: First Choice Cellars/Facebook.
A former Griffith winemaker who pleaded guilty to three fraud offences after admitting his business altered supplier invoices to inflate the value of wine purchases and claim millions of dollars in GST refunds is due to be sentenced in November.
Aaron Salvestrin, 31, launched Sans Pareil Estate in Hanwood in 2018 and remained its owner and director until the company collapsed into liquidation four years later, with an alleged $32 million debt to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
Details of the winery’s spectacular rise and fall were first revealed by Region Riverina in an exclusive 2023 investigation.
Our reporting also exposed the scale of the business’s spending, including the purchase of a rare $1.47 million McLaren P1 supercar signed by Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo.
According to a statement of facts tendered in the criminal case, Mr Salvestrin registered Sans Pareil as an export business and told the ATO he was selling large quantities of wine to a European buyer.
Businesses generally do not charge GST on goods exported overseas, meaning Sans Pareil could claim back GST it had supposedly paid when purchasing bulk wine from Australian suppliers for export.
The statement of facts says San Pareil used the system to claim millions of dollars in GST refunds to which it was not entitled.
In an interview with Australian Federal Police, Mr Salvestrin admitted that his business used PDF software to change genuine invoices from wine suppliers, increasing the value of the wine purchases shown on the documents.
The inflated invoices were then used to support GST refund claims.
The court heard Sans Pareil claimed more than $17 million in GST credits for purchases that did not occur.
The criminal case is against Mr Salvestrin alone, with no other Sans Pareil employees or former employees charged or accused of wrongdoing.
The ATO began auditing the business in June 2022, and the company went into liquidation in October that year.
The collapse triggered a separate civil case in the NSW Supreme Court, brought by the company’s liquidator, insolvency expert Gavin Moss, to recover money owed to both the ATO and other creditors — including Griffith and Wagga businesses.
In March 2024, Justice Anthony McGrath ordered Mr Salvestrin to repay more than $8.4 million after finding he had made “unreasonable director-related transactions” while running the business.
The civil case was separate from the criminal prosecution and did not result in criminal charges.
The liquidation also revealed the scale of the business’s spending, with funds allegedly used for expenses including luxury vehicles and other personal purchases. A McLaren P1 supercar signed by Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo was sold for $1.47 million.
Aaron Salvestrin’s McLaren P1 Supercar was signed by Daniel Ricciardo. Photo: Orange_Kieth.
Mr Salvestrin declared himself bankrupt seven days after the Supreme Court ordered him to repay the $8.4 million.
The separate criminal investigation eventually resulted in Mr Salvestrin being charged with 16 counts of dishonestly intending to obtain a gain from a Commonwealth entity and one count of using a forged document to induce a public official to accept it as genuine.
He was granted bail in August 2025 and was required to report daily to Dee Why Police Station, surrender his passports and remain within the Sydney Northern Beaches area, where he currently lives. He was allowed to travel to Griffith with 24 hours’ notice to police.
The criminal case was delayed several times as lawyers worked through the large volume of evidence and negotiated on the charges.
In June this year, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew the 16 charges of dishonestly intending to obtain a gain after Mr Salvestrin pleaded guilty 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.
The remaining three offences were committed to the NSW District Court, where he is due to appear for sentencing on 26 November.
Mr Salvestrin will remain on bail until that date, under the same conditions imposed on him in August 2025.
The offences carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
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