Peter Fraser, head winemaker and general manager at Yangarra Estate Vineyard in McLaren Vale, Australia, died in a house fire on 27th November 2025, aged 51.
Peter was not only tremendously well respected, he was also tremendously well liked. As a person, he was affable, gentle, modest, genuine, ready with a laugh. As a professional, he was dedicated, conscientious and hugely talented.
A champion of biodynamics and sensitive winemaking, Peter made wines of elegance, nuance and gravitas. They won a litany of awards and many fans. These bottles not only conveyed the brilliance and beauty of, for example, old-vine Blewitt Springs Grenache - they also brought joy, and a smile to the lips of countless wine lovers around the world.
Through this personal and professional legacy, Peter was, and will remain, a pillar of the McLaren Vale community and landscape. He will be sorely missed.
This is our tribute to Peter, which features an interview recorded with him on 24th October 2025. His words and his legacy speak for themselves. To adapt a phrase Peter uses in this interview - he left the place in a better way than it was before he started.
Peter Fraser, 1974-2025.
