By Andy Young
Penfolds’ Chief Winemaker Peter Gago has been appointed as South Australia and Adelaide’s Great Wine Capitals Global Ambassador.
The Great Wine Capitals is a network of 10 major global cities which, through their internationally renowned wine regions, share a key economic and cultural asset.
Last year Adelaide was invited to join the global network which also includes San Francisco/Napa Valley (US), Bordeaux (France), Bilbao/Rioja (Spain), Cape Town (South Africa), Mainz/Rheinhessen (Germany), Mendoza (Argentina), Porto (Portugal), Valparaìso/Casablanca Valley (Chile) and Verona (Italy).
The network’s Global Ambassador Program will see each member city appoint a wine and tourism leader who will help increase collaboration as well as improve the profile of the network.
“SA’s membership to the prestigious Great Wine Capitals Global Network presents so many exciting possibilities and I’m honoured to be involved as the global ambassador for SA,” Gago said.
“Elevating the state’s wine profile on an international stage increases the exposure for our premium wine labels and raises the bar for us as a wine capital – we’re now benchmarking against regions like Bordeaux and this gives us the opportunity to learn from their experience and insights.”
South Australia’s Agriculture Minister Leon Bignall welcomed Gago’s appointment in helping to promote the state’s wine region around in the world.
Helping the wine industry build on the $2.1 billion in revenue generated in 2015-16 and maximising export opportunities in international markets is a key priority for the state government,” he said.
“SA is Australia’s wine state, producing 80 per cent of the country’s premium wine. We exported more than 472 million litres of wine in 2015-16, worth $1.3b.
“At any one time we have nearly one billion bottles of wine on tables and in cellars around the world with one of the state’s wine regions on the label.”
Minsiter Bignall also announced a new partnership between the University of Adelaide and KEDGE Business School in Bordeaux to help improve wine industry education, innovation and research.
The partnership will see joint projects, exchange programs and study tours and will include students, teachers and researchers.