Kerridge, George H.

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Kerridge, George H.

PERSONAL: Male.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, CSIRO Publishing, P.O. Box 1139, Collingwood, Victoria 3066, Australia.

CAREER: Wine scientist and writer. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Merbein, Victoria, Australia, 1951–98, began as junior technical assistant, became viticultural research scientist; United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Turkey, dried fruit and dehydration expert, 1969–70. Also served as one of Australia's national wine judges.

MEMBER: Australian Society of Viticulture (founding member), Australian Society of Horticultural Sciences (founding member).

AWARDS, HONORS: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Medal for Research Achievement, 1991, for contributions to development of mechanization in Australian vineyards; National Australian Day Council achievement medal, 1995, for contributions to CSIRO.

WRITINGS:

(With Allan J. Antcliff) Wine Grape Varieties of America, CSIRO Publishing (Collingwood, Victoria, Australia), 1996, revised edition published as Wine Grape Varieties, 1999.

(With Angela Gackle) Vines for Wines: A Wine Lover's Guide to the Top Wine Grape Varieties, CSIRO Publishing (Collingwood, Victoria, Australia), 2004.

Contributor to Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research.

SIDELIGHTS: An expert on grape varieties in Australia and the world, George H. Kerridge worked in the field of wine cultivation for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) for more than four decades. He has also written several books about grapes and winemaking. He is coauthor, with Allan J. Antcliff, of Wine Grape Varieties of America, which scientifically identifies eighty-eight grape varieties and includes color photographs of fruit, leaves, cones, and shoots for better identification. In an interview appearing on the CSIRO Web site, Kerridge pointed out, "There's been a history of confusion about grape varieties. Varieties have been wrongly identified or introduced under several different names. Even recent introductions from California and elsewhere have been misidentified, or go by names other than those used here." The revised edition of the book, Wine Grape Varieties, includes three new varieties of grapes and updates other critical information, such as references to the types of wines produced from specific grapes, including specific blends. The authors list grape names and synonyms used in Australia and overseas. They also provide a glossary of technical terms. G. S. Howell, reviewing the book for Choice, suggested that it should be "in the possession of everyone interested in wine grapes … or who simply loves wine." Kerridge is also coauthor with Angela Gackle of Vines for Wines: A Wine Lover's Guide to the Top Wine Grape Varieties, which focuses on wines from the consumer's point-of-view and includes tasting terms and notes for each variety of wine.