Winemaker Peter Gago honoured for lifetime achievements

Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago AC has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Meininger Awards, recognising his lifelong contribution to the global wine industry.

It was presented to Gago in Düsseldorf on 14 March, on the eve of ProWein.

Gago follows a distinguished line of winners over the years, including Marchese Piero Antinori, Bruno Paillard, Angelo Gaja and Marvin Shanken.

Established by one of Germany’s oldest specialist publishers, Meininger Verlag, the award celebrates outstanding personalities within the global wine industry for innovation, international influence and leadership.

Gago joined Penfolds in 1989, and in 2002, he became chief winemaker, only the fourth in Penfolds’ 182-year history.

In 2012, he was awarded the Winemaker’s Winemaker by The Institute of Masters of Wine & Drinks Business Magazine.

He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 2017 for eminent service to the Australian wine industry.

In 2018, he became an Honorary Doctor of the University of South Australia and in 2021, he was inducted into the Decanter Hall of Fame in 2021.

In 2025, Wine Communicators of Australia named him South Australia’s Legend of the Vine.

Gago said, “This award is profoundly humbling and I’m honoured to be here in Germany to receive it.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been almost four decades since I joined Penfolds and in that time, the ‘grip of the grape’ has never loosened; it’s a privilege to help preserve Penfolds legacy and spread the word on Australian wines around the world.”

Under Gago’s stewardship, Penfolds has continued to push boundaries, balancing tradition with innovation and preserving the inimitable Penfolds House Style.

While advancing groundbreaking projects such as cross-hemisphere collaborations with Champagne Thiénot and the Frey family (Grange La Chapelle), other disruptive innovations include g3, g4 & g5 Grange multi-vintage blends, V Chardonnay and the Penfolds Ampoule, all of which globally reinforce Penfolds dynamism and raison d’être.