i. Biography
His line of work runs through Cullen and Di Cullen, and into the Margaret River house he founded in 1979. The shape of that career is accumulation: technical training, regional experience, and a long practice of letting site and season do their work. In Mike Peterkin’s hands, the emphasis stays on the vineyard, the cellar, and the patience required to build wines that hold together over time.
The Climb
Technical grounding came through University of Western Australia, University of Adelaide, and Roseworthy, where Mike Peterkin gathered the study that would later support his own way of working. Those years gave the framework, but the work itself moved into the practical register of grapes, weather, and ferment, where theory has to be tested against the conditions of a vintage. Later work at Alkoomi added another Western Australian perspective, widening the base of experience that informed the house style he would go on to build. Today, Mike is winemaker and founder of Pierro, the Margaret River house he established in 1979. The date marks a long run of decisions made over time: not a quick build, but a winery formed through repetition, adjustment, and sustained attention to what the site could deliver.
Today
The current chapter is defined by intense detail, texture, expressive fruit and power, balanced with nuance and thrilling drive. These are wines built to open out rather than simply arrive, with richness shaped so it does not sit heavy and energy carried so the finish keeps moving. The house style also carries a method: lateral thinking with a pragmatic approach to viticulture and winemaking. That reads as both flexibility and discipline, a willingness to question easy answers while staying tied to what the vineyard and the vintage ask for. Mike Peterkin puts that pressure plainly: "There is also more than a touch of this character in our winemaking, where we are always striving for elusive perfection." The line points to the work behind the wines: exacting, iterative, and never settled for long.
Signature
Mike's signature wines include L.T.C blend, SemSauv white blend, and Pierro Chardonnay. Read together, they show where the work lands: blending where balance and complexity matter, and Chardonnay where line, texture, and precision can be drawn with particular clarity.
In Their Words “There is also more than a touch of this character in our winemaking, where we are always striving for elusive perfection.”
Recognition
Mike's honors include Young Gun finalist. It suits a career built on persistence, practical intelligence, and a firm sense of place, with the work continuing to sit between rigor and generosity.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Mike
Where did Mike Peterkin train or study?
Mike Peterkin trained at University of Western Australia and University of Adelaide.
What recognition has Mike Peterkin received?
Young Gun finalist (2018).
