Rob ‘the dirt man’ Gibson. Gibson Wines
When Gibson Wines founder Rob Gibson attended the famed wine tertiary institution Roseworthy Agricultural College, those studying viticulture were known as ‘dirt men’ or ‘dirt women’ and the cohort studying winemaking were known as ‘plonkies.’
Synonymous with richly flavoured and characterful shiraz from both the Eden and Barossa Valleys, Gibson’s shiraz releases have typically been blends across vineyards.
Rob Gibson studied viticulture and is indeed a ‘dirt man’ in more ways than one, as he also has a background in geology, having studied it at RMIT.
But prior to heading down a viticulture path and post his digging around in geology, Rob opened one of Melbourne’s first whole-food restaurants and later joined a hippie commune in the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland.
His first foray into wine was in 1974 while on a working holiday in New Zealand, where he completed a vintage at the Penfolds winery there. He travelled back ‘over the ditch’ to join Penfolds in the Barossa in 1975. Then, he attended the afore-mentioned Roseworthy in 1979, graduating in 1983. He then headed up Penfolds’ first viticultural department, working alongside fellow industry stalwarts, Don Ditter, John Duval and the founder of Penfolds Grange, Max Schubert. He also consulted as a viticulturist, traveling the world, advising on site selection. He established Gibson Wines in 1996.
Rob’s background in viticulture also led him to co-develop the Gibson-Schulz trellis system, a unique method whereby the vines are alternately planted on a low
This Article was originally published on The Real Review
