Peter Gago
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Peter Gago is a British- Australian winemaker and author, and the current custodian of Penfolds Grange, possibly the best known Australian wine.
He was born in Newcastle, England, where he lived until the age of six before emigrating to Australia, settling in Melbourne. He became a high school teacher of mathematics and chemistry in the early 1980s after graduating from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Science. At age twenty-nine, he undertook a Bachelor of Applied Science (Oenology) degree at Roseworthy College, graduating as dux. He started a job with Penfolds Wines in 1989, initially producing sparkling wine before moving on to reds, and eventually being made Penfolds Red Wine Oenologist. In July 2002, at age forty-five, Gago succeeded John Duval as Penfolds Chief Winemaker, becoming only the fourth person to hold the position since Max Schubert was first appointed in 1948. He has been involved with the market promotion of Penfolds wines since the early 1990s, travelling extensively to attend wine shows and conduct tastings and master classes. In 2005, he was named Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
On winemaking, he has said, "I would not say that my style is particularly evident in the winemaking, although I'm a firm believer in no filtration or fining, natural yeast, open-top fermenting and other noninvasive techniques. For me, it's about knowing when to interfere and when to stay out of the way".
Gago has co-authored three books about wine with Patrick Iland. He is married to Gail Gago, a Labor member of the South Australian Legislative Council.
Books
- Discovering Australian Wine : A Taster's Guide (1995), ISBN 0-646-22238-4
- Australian Wine : From the Vine to the Glass (1997), ISBN 0-646-31855-1
- Australian Wine : Styles and Tastes (2002), ISBN 0-9581605-0-3
See also
References
Further reading
- Iland, Gago, Caillard and Dry. "A Taste of the World of Wine". Patrick Iland Wine Promotions Pty Ltd.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - "Peter Gago : Winemaker : Winemaking Philosophy : Winemaking". Retrieved 2006-04-26.
- Faulkner, Jane (2003-12-15). "Like a kid in a lolly shop". The Age. Fairfax. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
- Schachner, Michael (2005-12-15). "Winemaker of the Year - Peter Gago". Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Retrieved 2006-04-26.
- "Max Schubert : Winemaker : Winemaking Philosophy : Winemaking". Retrieved 2006-04-26.
- Plane, Terry (2002-07-25). "Penfolds' new chief to be top of the Grange". The Australian. News Corp.
- "Southcorp Announces Peter Gago's Appointment as Penfolds Chief Winemaker, Assuming the Mantle from John Duval" (Press release). Southcorp Wines. 2002-07-24.