When Peter Rymill established the Rymill Coonawarra vineyards in 1974, with his wife Judy, he was igniting a passion for wine which ran through his families veins since his great-great grandfather, John Riddoch, founded Coonawarra in 1890. While Judy managed the family farm, Peter tended to the vineyards whilst he completed a degree in Wine Science and a diploma in Wine Marketing. Peter set himself the goal not to build a winery until he felt he had established a brand and proven his skill as a winemaker by winning a gold medal at a wine show. He won a trophy at the Australian Small Winemakers Wine Show in 1987 and so construction began on the Rymill Coonawarra winery shortly after.