Vale Peter Fraser
Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2025 10:38 am
Industry mourns loss of gifted winemaker Peter Fraser
The Australian and international wine community is mourning the loss of Yangarra Estate’s Peter Fraser – one of the nation’s most highly acclaimed winemakers.
Peter, 51, was found dead inside his Clarendon home on Thursday afternoon after emergency services attended a fire.
His sudden death has sent shockwaves through the wine industry and the wider community.
“It’s hit the industry hard,” says Anthony Madigan, editor of WBM – Australia’s Wine Business Magazine.
“We are all deeply shocked and saddened… it’s hard to find the words.
“Pete was an extraordinary winemaker – at the top of his game and revered by the whole industry.
“He was also just a great bloke… affable, humble and down-to-earth – and generous with his time.
“Pete will be missed.”
In a WBM cover story written by Katie Spain in 2016 Pete said that the wine bug bit during Army Reserve training.
“We were drinking wine at the officer’s mess and being all adult,” he said.
“I eventually started collecting wine.”
Peter – the son of chicken farmers – had been the winemaker at Yangarra in McLaren Vale since 2000 when Jackson Family Wines from California bought it.
He was 20 when he attended a wine dinner hosted by Warren Randall, winemaker for Andrew Garrett Wines.
“I was a bit enamoured by his charisma,” Pete said.
“He was doing vintage and rocked in late with his rugby shorts and t-shirt covered in wine.”
His first job in the wine industry was at Woodstock before joining St Hallett, working with the legendary Stuart Blackwell and Bob McLean. He then worked as chief winemaker at Normans Wines.
Andrew Caillard MW once said, “At Yangarra, Peter Fraser is consistently producing some of Australia’s finest Grenache and Shiraz wines.
“He is a brilliant specialist with Southern Rhône varieties and almost everything he touches is gold.”
In 2024 Jancis Robinson said, “Yangarra is a widely admired star in the Australian wine firmament.”
Yangarra is the only winery to be awarded the Halliday Wine Companion ‘Wine of the Year’ twice for the same variety – Yangarra 2021 Old Vine Grenache and Yangarra 2016 High Sands Grenache.
The flagship Yangarra wine is the High Sands Grenache ($300).
Pete is survived by his wife Tessa and two children, Jack and Poppy.
The Australian and international wine community is mourning the loss of Yangarra Estate’s Peter Fraser – one of the nation’s most highly acclaimed winemakers.
Peter, 51, was found dead inside his Clarendon home on Thursday afternoon after emergency services attended a fire.
His sudden death has sent shockwaves through the wine industry and the wider community.
“It’s hit the industry hard,” says Anthony Madigan, editor of WBM – Australia’s Wine Business Magazine.
“We are all deeply shocked and saddened… it’s hard to find the words.
“Pete was an extraordinary winemaker – at the top of his game and revered by the whole industry.
“He was also just a great bloke… affable, humble and down-to-earth – and generous with his time.
“Pete will be missed.”
In a WBM cover story written by Katie Spain in 2016 Pete said that the wine bug bit during Army Reserve training.
“We were drinking wine at the officer’s mess and being all adult,” he said.
“I eventually started collecting wine.”
Peter – the son of chicken farmers – had been the winemaker at Yangarra in McLaren Vale since 2000 when Jackson Family Wines from California bought it.
He was 20 when he attended a wine dinner hosted by Warren Randall, winemaker for Andrew Garrett Wines.
“I was a bit enamoured by his charisma,” Pete said.
“He was doing vintage and rocked in late with his rugby shorts and t-shirt covered in wine.”
His first job in the wine industry was at Woodstock before joining St Hallett, working with the legendary Stuart Blackwell and Bob McLean. He then worked as chief winemaker at Normans Wines.
Andrew Caillard MW once said, “At Yangarra, Peter Fraser is consistently producing some of Australia’s finest Grenache and Shiraz wines.
“He is a brilliant specialist with Southern Rhône varieties and almost everything he touches is gold.”
In 2024 Jancis Robinson said, “Yangarra is a widely admired star in the Australian wine firmament.”
Yangarra is the only winery to be awarded the Halliday Wine Companion ‘Wine of the Year’ twice for the same variety – Yangarra 2021 Old Vine Grenache and Yangarra 2016 High Sands Grenache.
The flagship Yangarra wine is the High Sands Grenache ($300).
Pete is survived by his wife Tessa and two children, Jack and Poppy.