The journey began when Vivian Bogdan and Daniele Ferrari met in Bologna, Italy in 1990. Daniele, after finishing his bachelor degree in Marine Biology and a few years work as a researcher at the Bologna University - the oldest university in the world - worked at the time as R&D Project Leader at the Italian branch of an American company.
Daniele specialized in filtration processes aimed at making drinking water from different sources (wells, rivers, lakes, etc.). He was travelling extensively around the world in order to make experimental campaigns, give speeches and attend specialized congresses.
Vivian reached Italy in 1987 from Melbourne, with a fellowship received from the Italian Government to perfect her skills as a concert pianist. She was Young Talent of the Year in 1986 and had already performed in Australia. She was at the time a student at VCAS in Melbourne and after a masterclass and an audition with Maestro Michele Campanella he invited her to perfect her skills in Italy.
She settled first in Naples, were she attended one of the major schools of piano teaching in the world and followed the lessons of the most traditional and respected teacher. After more than two years of study she decided to move to Bologna in order to enter the local University - in the same department where Umberto Eco is still teaching - and complete her background with formal studies of Musicology.
Good common friends make the thing happen: Vivian and Daniele met one saturday afternoon and spent the rest of the evening listening to jazz in a Bologna pub with their friends, enjoying good food and wine. They got married in 1995 in a castle on the hills of Fiesole (Florence) and later on they gave birth of two beautiful daughters, Joy and Isabelle.
Meanwhile Vivian discussed her bachelor thesis in Bologna and they bought a house in northern Italy on the magnificent Lake Garda - Daniele's birth place - where they moved in order to give the children a healthier environment. Daniele was appointed Director of a multinational company and reduced his travelling to be closer to his growing family (two dogs joined the family in the new home).
From 1993, they made many trips to Australia, later on with their babies, to visit Vivian's parents. In 1999 they planned to set up a vineyard in one of the family properties in northern Victoria. In January 2006 they finally moved to this beloved country and started their new life. Vivian entered the Melbourne University as a PhD student and Daniele took charge of the wine business, promoting the Ulupna brand from February 2007, when the first Ulupna 2005 vintage wines were released.