Don Ditter

Donovan John Ditter was winemaker at Penfolds from 1950 to 1986. He was National Production Manager (equivalent to Chief Winemaker) from 1973 until his retirement in 1986.

Raised in South Australia's Barossa Valley, Don started work with Penfolds as a laboratory assistant at the Magill winery in Adelaide in December 1942. From 1944 to 1945 he served in the RAAF and in 1946 undertook winemaking studies at Roseworthy Agricultural College. He graduated in 1950 with first class honours and returned to Penfolds, this time to Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley, which was then establishing itself as Penfolds' winemaking centre.

In 1953 he was transferred to Sydney to take on the responsibility of winemaker for the two cellars in Sydney.

In 1963 Don was promoted to NSW Production Manager. In this position he was responsible for winemaking operations in Sydney, Minchinbury, Griffith and the Hunter Valley. He was appointed National Production Manager, in control of all winemaking operations, in 1973. In 1975 the title of Chief Winemaker was added, following the retirement of Max Schubert.

Don retired in 1986 and now lives in Sydney. However, Don regularly consults to Penfolds, where he passes on some of his knowledge to a new generation of employees as a wine educator.

Note: the title Chief Winemaker did not formally exist in Penfolds until 1975. The roles of Chief winemaker and National Production Manager were split in 1982, following the Kaiser Stuhl takeover.

View biographies:

Max Schubert

Don Ditter

John Duval

Steve Lienert

Oliver Crawford

Peter Gago