Zonzo Estate has announced it will convert the Innocent Bystander hospitality venue into the home of its best-selling limoncello spritz, Zoncello.

Located at 334 Maroondah Highway in Healesville, the property is near the Yarra Valley and about one hour’s drive from Melbourne CBD.

Colliers announced the successful sale of the property to Zonzo Estate in early February, with the venue expected to reopen mid-year.

Colliers Director, Melbourne Metro Sales | Investment Services Ben Baines said, “The campaign was very well received by the market, with approximately 110 enquiries from a mix of owner occupiers and investors, both local, national, and offshore based. We received six formal offers from a range of buyer profiles, leading to a swift and successful sale.”

The asset, which includes both the business and the property, was first acquired by The Brown Family Wine Group in 2016.

Zonzo Estate Director Rod Micallef said: “We are thrilled to be expanding our offering to an iconic Yarra Valley space. Patrons can expect a delicious new dining experience, a unique retail offering, and a new home for the legendary ‘Zoncello’ Limoncello Spritz.”

Zoncello raced off the shelves during the festive season, selling a record 455,000 bottles in December.

Social media has been fuelling growth, with Zonzo Estate struggling to keep up with demand since launching the product in mid-2023.

“There’s thousands of videos of how people are drinking it,” Micallef told Perth Now.

“There’s people freezing it and turning it into a Slurpee, people mixing it with gelato — it’s gone absolutely berserk.” 

Zoncello, which has been credited with putting the wine category back in growth, cracked the million-bottle sales mark in its first year on the market.

Despite the sale of the property, The Innocent Bystander brand remains a key strategic growth priority for The Brown Family Wine Group.

Brown Family Wine Group’s Georgia Bruton said: “We have exciting new plans in the pipeline to expand the brand well beyond the Yarra Valley and into Australia and abroad as the brand for urban wine experiences, rather than a single brand venue.”