Penfolds Winemaker Granted Highest Australian Honour

Ask wine enthusiasts what the greatest Australian red wine is, and you might get some varied answers. But one wine that would come out on top over all others by a significant margin, is Penfolds Grange. And the name most synonymous with this iconic Aussie classic, would always be Peter Gago.

It is a first for the wine industry of Australia, and definitely cause for celebration, that a member of the Aussie wine industry has been recognized in the Queen’s Birthday Honours this year. Peter Gago, Chief Winemaker at Penfolds Grange, is the only South Australian among 14 others who have been awarded the most prominent honour of Companion to the Order of Australia (AC) in 2017.

Peter was delighted with this achievement, saying that it is an honour for him to be included alongside so many noteworthy figures. He also expressed his delight and pride in how far the Australian wine industry has progressed in recent years. Although he is a multi-awarded winemaker, Peter explains that this honour is unique, as it puts wine on the same platform as the military, judiciary, sports, arts – culture on the whole.

A look back through Peter’s life would reveal that he is a British born immigrant, who moved to Australia as a child. He worked as a Maths and Chemistry teacher, prior to graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in ‘Applied Science in Oenology’. In 1989, he joined Penfolds. Over the years, he climbed up the ladder to reach the level where he is today.

The citation applauds him for his “eminent service to the Australian wine industry as an internationally acclaimed winemaker, to the global promotion of excellence in oenology, marketing and research, as a mentor, and to the community of South Australia”.