The
wine industry lost several influential people this year. Today we remember seven world wine luminaries.
John Pedroncelli, Jr.
 |
| John Pedroncelli, Jr. |
He
was a second-generation California winemaker and played an active part in growing
Sonoma County, California’s wine industry.
John
Pedroncelli, Jr. followed his father, John, Sr. into the Pedroncelli Winery
family business in 1948. John Jr. and his brother Jim purchased the winery from
their father in 1963 and began increasing the line of wines and expanding the
vineyards. (The Pedroncelli Winery is now operated by third and fourth
generations of the family.)
John
Pedroncelli prided himself on crafting affordable wines in the Dry Creek
Valley. He wanted people to enjoy his wines now, not lay them down to age.
Zinfandel was his favorite and he was the first winemaker in the state to make
a Zinfandel Rosé. Besides Zinfandel, he also crafted Pinot Noir, Riesling, and
various red blends, producing over 60 vintages for the winery.
John
Pedroncelli died on January 4, 2015 after a brief battle with cancer. He was 89
years old. He is survived by his wife, Christine, three children and five
grandchildren.
Evelyn Trentadue
 |
| Evelyn Trentadue |
Evelyn
Trentadue was the matriarch of a well-known Alexander Valley winemaking family.
 |
| Leo and Evelyn |
She
married Leo Trentadue in 1950. The couple left San Francisco in 1959 after
purchasing a ranch in Geyserville. There they began a life-long love affair
with wine grapes. While Leo tended 150 acres of plums and 60 acres of
vineyards, Evelyn drove tons of grapes to market. By 1969, the couple had built
one of the first wineries in the region; the Trentadue Winery.
The winery is known for its Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cabernet, Merlot and
Sangiovese, plus a red blend called Old Patch Red. Trentadue was the first
California winery to release a 100% varietal Sangiovese – a nod to the family's
Italian heritage.
Evelyn
Trentadue died on March 21, 2015. She was 84 years old. She is survived by
three children and six grandchildren, and was preceded in death by her husband,
Leo.
Bob
McLean
 |
| Bob McLean |
One
of Australia’s most respected winemakers passed away in April. Bob McLean was
known as a “big guy with a big heart” in the wine world down under.
McLean
made Barossa Valley his home and shared his love of the region by being a key
tourism promoter for the region and deputy chairman for South Australian
Tourism Association.
McLean
worked his way up in the wine industry starting at “the bottom
of the pile.” He spent 30 years in the industry doing what he called
“communicating.” He refused to be labeled as a marketer, but his branding work with
Petaluma, Orlando and Saint Hallett was famous. McLean worked on building
winery images and promoting wine brands while helping to establish Australian
wines in the international market, especially in Europe.
After
years of success, McLean and his wife Wilma launched their own brand, McLean’s
Farm Wines & Barr-Eden Vineyard, at Tanunda in the Barossa Valley.
Bob
McLean died on April 9, 2015 of liver cancer. He was 67 years old. In true
McLean-style, he left a “farewell statement” to be published after his passing in
which he confirmed “that these rumours of
my death are true.” He is survived by his wife Wilma, two children and his
grandchildren.
Joseph Henriot
 |
| Joseph Henriot |
He
was a legend in the world of Champagne and Burgundy wines, and a well-respected
star of the French wine industry.
Joseph
Henriot decided to take a different tack from the family business and was studying agronomy when his
father died in 1957. Henriot then returned to the Champagne region in France to work
in the family's Champagne Henriot Company. He became
president of the company in 1962.
For
the next several years he acquired several Champagne houses including Charles
Heidsieck in 1975 and Veuve Cliquot. In 1985, Henriot sold the family business
to Remy Martin. Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy acquired the family house in 1987.
Henriot was president of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin during this time.
In
1994 he agreed to buy the family business back from LVMH. He also bought Maison
Bouchard Pere et Fils, a well known Burgundy house, which included grand and
premier cru vineyards.
Henriot
went on to buy William Fèvre in Chablis, in 1998, and Villa Ponciago located
in Beaujolais, in 2008.
Joseph
Henriot died on April 27, 2015 at the age of 79. He is survived by his wife and
three children. One son, Thomas Henriot will now run the House of Henriot.
Noël Verset
 |
| Noel Verset |
He
spent over 75-years cultivating wine grapes, and working to establish the
Cornas appellation as an outstanding region for Syrah grapes.
Noël Verset loved the Cornas region and he
worked hard to cultivate the wine grapes as his ancestors had done for
centuries. Verset left school at the age of 12 to tend the family’s vineyard, but
the pay was scant, so he also worked for the local
railroad in Valence for years.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Verset began to bottle more
of his "local wine." He became known as the “Grand Old Man” of Cornas and had visitors
from around the world visit his vineyards and try his wine. The vino was said to be expressive, complex and faithful to the region – a dark,
brooding wine with a wonderful texture that could enrapture the soul.
Verset continued to craft wine for sale until 2000. His
last vintage for family use was in 2006.
Noël Verset died on September 11, 2015 in
Guilherand-Granges, France. He was 95-years-old. He is survived by two
daughters; his wife preceded him in death. Verset will be remembered for gaining
the acceptance of the Cornas region as a great wine province.
Brian Wheaton
 |
| Brian Wheaton |
He
was a man with a list of acronyms behind his name; MW for Masters of Wine, AWE
for Association of Wine Educators, and AGG for All-around Good Guy.
Brian
Wheaton qualified for an MW – Masters of Wine - the highest distinction in the
UK Wine Trade, in 1967. He was the only person awarded the distinction that
year. (Today, only about 350 people hold an MW.)
Wheaton
worked as a wine buyer for years, traveling around the globe before “retiring”
to the lecture circuit aboard cruise ships where he made wine more approachable to the public.
Brian
Wheaton died on November 29, 2015 after a long illness. He is survived by his
wife, Anne, and three daughters.
Don Ditter
 |
| Don Ditter |
As
the former chief winemaker for Penfolds, he introduced changes that were
relevant and far-reaching, both for the company, and for Australian wines.
Don
Ditter was raised in the Barossa Valley and began his career at Penfolds Magill
Estate in 1942 working as a lab assistant. Thirty years later he was the head
of winemaking, holding that position from 1973 to 1986. During his time there,
Ditter changed vineyard management and wine crafting techniques, producing
award-winning results for the Penfolds label.
Ditter brought back the popular “special bin releases,” a marketing technique
that had been allowed to lapse in the 1970s. The Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon,
which originated in 1964, was a special release that became extremely popular.
Ditter
also concentrated on expanding the Koonunga Hill and Magill Estate line of wines
during a time when the government was paying vineyards not to plant grapes due
to a failing wine industry. He focused on developing the style of Penfolds
Grange to make it more fruit-forward, garnering rave reviews.
Don
Ditter died on December 16, 2015. He was
89-years-old. Ditter might have been considered “old school,” but he was someone
who knew what needed to be done and had the fortitude to see it through.
As 2015 comes to a close, here's wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
~
Joy
