Oliver Crawford

Oliver's interest in wine was sparked at an early age when he helped his family establish their vineyard at Mt Canobolas in Orange, New South Wales.

He completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science - majoring in Oenology - at Adelaide University in 1997. While studying, Oliver worked four vintages in the vineyard and cellar at Rosemount Estate in the Upper Hunter Valley.

Oliver completed a vintage in the Languedoc region of southern France prior to joining Penfolds in June 1999. Originally part of its red winemaking team, he now manages white winemaking at the Nuriootpa winery. In 2002 Oliver was awarded one of the Australian wine industry's highest honours: The Wine Society Young Winemaker of the Year.

Oliver believes that great winemaking begins in the vineyard. "It is critical to get the fruit right in the vineyard. If the quality is right, the flavours will express themselves naturally. Variations between vintages, particularly the strength of the vintage and the overall intensity of the fruit, provide an exciting challenge every year."

Oliver says he particularly enjoys the challenges of making different white wine styles. "With Chardonnay it's the art of matching the varietal and regional characters with differing oak types and yeast complexities, and with Riesling, it's about capturing the varietal characters of the vineyard in the bottle."

With Penfolds' resources, Oliver is able to make a range of exceptional quality multi-regional, regional and even single-vineyard wines. "The opportunity to explore the intricacies of soil type, micro-climate and vineyard sites from around Australia is what makes being a winemaker for Penfolds so special."

View biographies:

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Oliver Crawford

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