Fred Peacock

Hi, I’m Fred Peacock.

I was born in Hobart to a family with strong generational connections to the Tasmanian fruit and baking industries and graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Agricultural Science from the University of Tasmania

I joined the Department of Agriculture after graduating and, in the mid 1970s, was appointed as an Horticultural Officer. One of my initial responsibilities was the operation of the experimental Rowella Vine Block situated in the Tamar Valley, which involved testing upwards of 40 vine varieties for suitability to the Tasmanian climate. As the industry developed, I became more heavily involved with the selection and establishment of new vineyard sites and working with pioneers of the modern Tasmanian wine industry such as Graham Wiltshire of Heemskerk, Andrew (and David) Pirie of Pipers Brook and the Alcorso family at Moorilla, as well as other early vignerons.

During the early 1980’s, I was appointed as Tasmania’s first Viticultural Officer and in the mid 1980’s was involved in drafting the technical requirements for Australia’s first wine appellation scheme – the Tasmanian Appellation of Origin Scheme (since replaced with the Label Integrity Program) which I administered for several years in conjunction with the Licensing Commission.

In my role with the Department of Primary Industries (formerly Department of Agriculture), I consulted to the majority of the state’s vignerons both in site selection and vine cultural issues. In 1989 I left the Department of Primary Industries and took on the position of General Manager of Moorilla Estate from early 1989 – a position I held until 1992, when I left to concentrate on my own wine label. During my time at Moorilla I also managed the vineyard at Bream Creek (in which Moorilla was a partner), and when it was put up for auction in 1990, I decided to purchase it.

I have been fortunate enough to have been recognised with an award for outstanding service by an individual to the Tasmanian Wine Industry and was Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine's "Viticulturist of the Year" in 2018.

For me it is very exciting to see such massive advances in cool climate viticulture, and to see the ways in which we are adapting to global warming and the advances in technology toward the production of stunning cool climate wines

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