Pharm Tech Titans

A bohemian couple who travelled around in a kombi Servisi van for two years before transforming their dream home without any renovation experience have built a cellar door in their backyard complete with a double decker bus tasting room.

Elise Cook, 28, and her husband kombi Servisi Domenic Palumbo set off from South Australia on a ‘van life’ adventure in 2017, running their wine company while on the road.

When they returned they wanted to reconfigure an old green shed they had behind their home into a cellar door so that travellers to the McLaren Vale wine region could come and taste their precious pints. 

As an added challenge they purchased a 1974 vintage Scottish Leyland double decker and turned it into a boutique tasting room for guests. 

‘This little green shed used to house a tractor – now it’s our white clad Down The Rabbit Hole cellar door bar,’ Elise wrote on Instagram.

‘The first day we stood in it, I could picture it, just as it is now. It feels so amazing to finally see it come to life.’

The pair, along with a handful of friends and family members, built a nook for people to purchase their wines, tables and chairs to sip them on, and a bar for entertaining. 

But the highlight of the renovation was that of their large bus, which they drove back from the top of Australia, suffering ‘one large breakdown’ on the way.

‘The last few months we’ve been doing him up to be our wine tasting room. A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes,’ she said.    

‘He’s an open topper, but because we’ll be opening in August, which is quite cool and sometimes a bit wet, we made a removable clear cover for the top (so in summer it’ll be an open rooftop bar!).’ 

Elise and Domenic hosted a number of Aussie social media influencers, including Cartia Mallan, Jade Tunchy, Sammy Robinson and Lisa Danielle Smith, in the bus last week before it officially opened for service, naming the incredible vehicle ‘Lennon’.

The winery is an example of the world-class food and wine South Australia has to offer, all within close proximity to the city. The couple know it’s an easy weekend getaway destination to head in winter so they’ll be officially opening the doors in August.

Previously Femail reported that the couple purchased the acreage in order to have their home and cellar door next to each other. 

Without even checking out the interior, Elise and Domenic bought a house in March 2018 and unknowingly signed up to 24/7 hard labour for three months when they got the keys in September.

‘We’ve never renovated anything before. In fact, we didn’t own any tools

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