Interview with Primo Caon [transcript] Interviewer: Rob Linn

Primo Caon was born on West Terrace on 25 August 1935, both his parents were Italians from Venice; his father worked in the quarries at Glen Osmond and then had a butcher's shop. Primo studied at the Christian Brothers College in Wakefield St and trained as a master butcher at Mace's in Rundle St. He went into National Service in 1953. The family drank wine at home. In the 1950s he shot kangaroos for 3 years for pet food. He worked at the Theatre Royal as a dresser and met his wife there. They moved to Sydney. His father opened a coffee shop La Cantina in Hindley St. There were very few coffee shops at the time. Primo returned to Adelaide and with his brother extended the cafe to include a restaurant with a wine licence. They could only sell wine until 9pm in the 1960s. They bought good quality wine from the Barossa and Coonawarra; red wine was more popular; they introduced Adelaide to European food and an appreciation of good wine. Norm Nanckel from Yalumba taught him how to appreciate wine. It was the beginning of the restaurant wine industry. They opened a bottle shop at Wellington Square which took a few years to develop and sold the shop 20 years ago. In 1970 they opened Charlie Browns on Port Road and sold it in 1974. All the actors at the Theatre Royal went to La Cantina. They sold La Cantina to move to Charlie Browns. They served up to 200 people for lunch. He then started in the wine distribution industry for Taylors, Rosemont, Petaluma, Bollinger and this lasted 15 years. He then bought Chessers restaurant. Australians drink 20 litres of wine per head annually which is the highest in the English speaking world. His brother opened Rigonis in Leigh St. There has been a lot of change in the last 10 years because of corporate takeovers of family wineries

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