CHARDONNAY CHUMS

Dr Michael Peterkin of Pierro Wines makes Margaret River’s best Chardonnay, one that chef Tetsuya Wakuda can’t resist. The GP turned winemaker reveals more during a winemaker dinner at Waku Ghin, part of Margaret River On Tour.

I was a beer drinking footballer in medical school, following an ex-girlfriend to her wine course. That’s how I got interested in wine.

Back then Grange Hermitage was AU$2 and you could pull out the good Burgundies for a regular Sunday dinner.

I’m proud of creating Margaret River’s first Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blend. I didn’t invent it but I saw that (this Bordeaux style) was a good fit for our climate.

A distributor arranged for a Pierro wine dinner at Tetsuya’s, then located in Rozelle in the 1990s. Tetsuya liked our style of Chardonnay and we’ve been making a label for the restaurant since 2001.

“I love the taste and consistency, it’s always fresh,” declares Wakuda. “Nobody knew about umami, but Pierro Wines has a lot of umami.”

This Christmas, I’ll be drinking a Nerello Cappucio, a gift from Sicily. Or maybe I should pull out a 1979 Pierro Cabernet Sauvignon, which was the first vintage. Pierro Wines available from Hai Choo Wines