A heated exchange on the history of Margaret River whites

Wilyabrup, the unofficial Margaret River region, is considered to be one of the most viticulturally suitable areas in all of Western Australia, blessed with perfect soils and an ideal climate. But Wilyabrup also appears to be a local hotbed of tension, if a recent open letter is anything to go by.

Below is a copy of a letter that renowned Margaret River vigneron Mike Peterkin (of Pierro Vineyards) allegedly sent to his neighbour Bruce Tomlinson (of Lenton Brae wines) responding to comments made in a recent West Australian article. Apparently the article specifically detailed the history of Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends in Margaret River, about which Bruce made some assertions.

As you can see the letter is well written, polite (at least initally) and mounts a strong case against some of Bruce’s alleged claims. Having not read the initial article (and it doesn’t appear online) I cannot comment any further, but I’m still looking forward to seeing if a public response is put out by Bruce.

Regardless of the outcome, this letter does make for interesting reading.

(Note: This was provided under the premise that it is an open letter which is why I’m publically sharing it)

Page 1. Click to view

Page 2 – click to view