Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago - the custodian of the Grange legacy - has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Meininger Awards, recognising his lifelong contribution to the global wine industry.
The honour was presented to Gago in Düsseldorf over the weekend, on the eve of ProWein, one of the wine industry’s most prominent global trade shows.
Gago follows a distinguished line of winners over the years, including Marchese Piero Antinori, Bruno Paillard and Angelo Gaja.
Established by one of Germany’s oldest specialist publishers, Meininger Verlag, the award celebrates
outstanding personalities within the global wine industry for innovation, international influence and leadership, with juries comprised of editors, critics and industry experts across Meininger’s respected publications.
Gago joined Penfolds in 1989, and in 2002, he became chief winemaker, only the fourth in Penfolds 182-year history.
In 2012, he was awarded the Winemaker’s Winemaker by The Institute of Masters of Wine & Drinks Business magazine.
He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2017 for eminent service to the Australian wine industry. In 2018, he became an Honorary Doctor of the University of South Australia and in 2021, he was inducted into the Decanter Hall of Fame in 2021.
In 2025, Wine Communicators of Australia named him South Australia’s Legend of the Vine.
“This award is profoundly humbling and I’m honoured to be here in Germany to receive it," Gago said.
“This award is profoundly humbling and I’m honoured to be here in Germany to receive it," Gago said.
"It’s hard to believe it’s been almost four decades since I joined Penfolds and in that time, the ‘grip of the grape’ has never loosened; it’s a privilege to help preserve Penfolds' legacy and spread the word on Australian wines around the world.”
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