Wine Region	Margaret River, Western Australia
Wine Maker	Dr Mike Peterkin
In the late 1970’s mike Peterkin fell in love with, and purchased, the land that the Pierro Vineyard and cellar door now occupy. The beautiful Willyabrup vineyard is located in what is widely regarded as amongst the finest wine grape growing terrain in the world. Located in the heart of Western Australia's renowned MargaretRiver wine region, this far-flung locality has a viticultural pedigree second to none.   The district is situated in the continent's deep south-west, a relatively young region unsullied by the impact of human population and development. Fresh air, clean seas, unspoiled country and fruitful earth have been simple, priceless qualities here for millennia.   Surrounded by open water on three sides between capes Leeuwin and Naturaliste, the wine region is almost completely free of pollutants and contaminants. Year-round it is swept by pure, cool sea breezes, blowing in off the Indian and Southern Oceans. Mild, wet winters and sun-splashed summer seasons add to the viticultural equation.   A stable and predictable Mediterranean maritime climate is a vigneron's dream-come-true, and MargaretRiver has this too. The vineyard is situated on the north-facing south bank of the Willyabrup Brook, a pristine freshet that meanders down its namesake valley to the sea.   As is the case with many premier vineyards elsewhere in the world the presence of this natural watercourse provides a nourishing life source for the vineyard. It is no coincidence that several of the State's other premier vineyards and wineries are also situated in this gently undulating country by the brook.   After graduation in medicine from the University of Western Australia in 1973 at the age of 24, Mike Peterkin decided that his love of wine and winemaking could not be ignored any longer. As if a degree in medicine wasn't enough, he attended South Australia's respected Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1976 and 1977 and gained a Diploma in Oenology.   From 1978 to 1981, he made wines at Enterprise Wines at Clare, Cullen Wines at Margaret River and Alkoomi in Western Australia's Great Southern region. But he had not forsaken medicine and in 1982 completed a postgraduate degree in obstetrics, gynaecology and postgraduate work in anaesthetics.   During his first vintage in the Margaret River in 1979 Mike introduced two vine styles that have become the mainstay of winemaking in the district, and went on to produce the first Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blend in Australia.   A medical practitioner as well as a fully qualified viticulturalist and winemaker, Mike juggled the two demanding vocations for 25 years. Only recently did he finish up with his duties as a country doctor to devote his energies full time to perfecting his wines.
What the critics have to say!
In the words of Jeremy Oliver, one of Australia’s most highly respected wine writers:   “Pierro is one of the few Australian wineries that could claim to have established a trend that many others have followed. Since the mid-1980s Mike Peterkin has crafted a Chardonnay of not only monumental power, but of simultaneously smooth and silky delivery.   “Pierro Chardonnay is the role model for so many of Australia’s more opulent and hedonistically proportioned chardonnays and is a stunning expression of Margaret River Chardonnay.” Mike Peterkin had initially intended to specialise in Riesling on his Willyabrup plot, so it was a tad fortuitous that Chardonnay became Pierro's most famous wine.   His vine supplier had been let down on a large order of Chardonnay rootstock, approximately 5000 cuttings, and offered them to Mike at a cut price. In order to help out his friend he agreed to take them.   It was an inspired decision. Today the two finest chardonnays in the region are Pierro and Leeuwin Estate. Seeing as Margaret River is indisputably Australia's premier Chardonnay producing region, this is a major honour.   During the last two decades the two wineries have received praise and accolades from around the world for their consistently outstanding efforts with the variety.