Sir Peter Michael, UK entrepreneur, has been chosen to receive a Wine Spectator Distinguished Service Award for his significant contributions to the wine industry, helping to advance wine quality, consumer education and philanthropy. He will be presented with the award at the Grand Award banquet in New York on Saturday 18 October.
Passion and generosity
The Wine Spectator has said that they recognise and honour the passion that led Sir Peter to plant vineyards in California and his generous support of numerous causes, including research to find a cure for prostate cancer. Previous recipients honoured with this award include Phillippine de Rothschild, Ernest Gallo and Robert Mondavi, among others.
Sir Peter made his fortune in electronics as the founder of the Micro Consultants Group and later went on to found Quantel, which became the world’s most successful digitised special effects company for television and film production. His love of wine became his passion after the infamous Judgement of Paris blind tasting in 1976 when Californian wines beat French wines hand down.
Peter Michael Winery
He took his time to find the perfect plot, and the Peter Michael Winery was eventually founded in 1982 on a square mile of rocky volcanic ridges that form the western face of Mount St. Helena in Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California. Sir Peter now produces wines that rival the great names of Burgundy and Bordeaux and Robert Parker rates these wines as amongst the very best in the world saying “Life is too short not to experience a bottle of PMW Chardonnay”.
Earlier this year, Robert Parker awarded two of Sir Peter’s Pinot Noirs; 2010 Ma Danseuse and 2010 Clos du Ciel, 100 points, which is considered to be one of the highest accolades in the world of wine.
The winery now has 180 acres of estate vineyards spread across three appellations. From these, current winemaker Nicolas Morlet handcrafts a portfolio of 15 different bottlings. Past winemakers include such celebrated names as Helen Turley, Mark Aubert and Luc Morlet.
As well as the Peter Michael Winery in California, Sir Peter owns The Vineyard Cellars, the UK’s only Californian wine merchant business, and the UK’s leading wine hotel, The Vineyard in Berkshire, which represents his zest for fine food and wine.