Jen Pfeiffer
Australia
Jen's Wines
- Australia
- 15Â wines
- 6Â styles
Your Winemaker of the Year 2015!
- Back in 2012, during a trip to Oz, Sam Plunkett insisted we paid a visit to his friend ‘the girl with the superstar palate’. The bad news was she was busy judging at a wine show but we were patient and the second we finally got to meet Jen, we just knew it was meant to be.
- Energetic, passionate and oh-so talented, Jen grew up in a winemaking family and fell in love with the industry from a young age! She travelled widely, learning her craft at many of the great wineries in France and Portugal before returning to the family winery with a desire to really push the boundaries
- Our ‘Rock it like a Redhead’ star has won hundreds of medals and was also crowned your Winemaker of the Year in 2015 so it’s safe to say she was definitely worth the wait!
Vineyard Location
Jen Pfeiffer's Story
Jen Pfeiffer's Story
"I was only 4 years old when her parents bought the historic "Old Distillery" property in Rutherglen in 1984.
I loved the freedom of exploring the vineyard on her bike, and knew all the best places to hide in the winery during games of hide and seek with my cousins. Growing up in a winemaking family, I was exposed to wine culture from a very early age, and thus began the process of absorption-soaking up plenty of knowledge about the Australian and international wine industries, and being exposed to some great wines from all around the world.
I just couldn't help but return to the family business, but not before a brief stint at Melbourne University studying Science/Law. In fact, it was in 2000 that I decided to come home to "do the vintage and earn a bit of cash, then head off overseas". I was given the responsibility of making the 2000 Pfeiffer Shiraz, and discovered I loved winemaking.When I was rewarded with a gold medal for that first wine, the rest is history, as they say.
Today, I love my winemaking role as much as ever, it appeals to both my scientific and creative mind. I believe it is the small details that can turn a good wine into a great wine. I strive for excellence across all styles, and enjoy the challenge of working with many and different varieties, from Riesling to Gamay and Shiraz to the fortifieds for which the Rutherglen region is famous.
In November 2009 (when I was 30) I was honoured to be awarded the Wine Society's Young Winemaker of the Year Sommelier's Choice Award. I was awarded the title from a pool of the very finest young winemakers from across Australia and New Zealand. The two wines which captured the sommeliers attention were the 2008 Pfeiffer Shiraz and the 2006 Pfeiffer Christophers VP. I owe it all to those outstanding wines.
Now we have amassed over 300 medals and 12 trophies for Pfeiffer Wines in the past decade I have worked for the winery. With Angel funding we hope for many many more in the future!"
