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I
trained at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Geology, and Roseworthy
College (1979 - 1981) in Oeonology and Viticulture.
I then worked at Penfolds Wines at the interface between winery and
vineyards. The focus was on quality relationships between wine produced
and the specific vineyard characteristics associated with various grades
of wine quality.
Mention is made of this in "Sunlight into Wine" and the work was published
in two papers for the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research.
Numerous speaking engagements with the theme "Quality is measurable
and manageable" were conducted during the 1980's and 90's.
Up until 1992, I personally supervised the development of Vineyard Assessment
techniques, grape value measurement, quality incentives for premium
grapegrowers and the maximization of premium value through appropriate
new vineyard systems such as Reduced Deficit Irrigation and the
Gibson - Schulz Vineyard System. This evolution was driven by
the challenge to improve the stocks of super premium red wines in the
Penfold organisation, which included Wynns, Seaview, Lindemans and eventually
Seppelt.
In
1992 I was asked to establish the new "Viticulture" department for the
renamed - Penfolds Wine Group - Southcorp Wines.
During the five years to mid 1997 the vineyard holdings doubled from
3,000 ha to 6,000 ha principally through new site development. This
activity was supported by a stream of bright young graduates schooled
in the Viticulture section in the applications of research results and
in a new "development" ethic in the Southcorp vineyard team, which included
28 vineyard managers and many more support staff.
Personally I travelled to International Conferences every year with
the objective of establishing World Class viticulture at Southcorp Wines.
My international experience took me to U.S.A., Canada, New Zealand,
South Africa, France, Germany and Italy.
I
supervised the selection of the 600 acre Paso Robles site in California
as my last task at Southcorp Wines.
We
have since expanded our family wine and vineyard holdings and I am currently
consulting from the Barossa Valley in South Australia.
ROB
GIBSON
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