Dr Edge
Luck's a fortune. Even bad luck, sometimes. Peter Dredge was an emerging sports star in Adelaide when a wayward discus struck him in the head at an athletics event. The 17-year-old spent five months in hospital. It took even longer to recover from the mental trauma brought on by the loss of a potential career.
After finishing school two years later, family connections got him a summer job in the lab at Petaluma Wines. He stayed 10 years. Along the way, he fell in love with wine – and life – gaining formal qualifications in Australia and vintage experiences abroad.
In 2010, he took on work at Bay of Fires winery. That morphed into a senior position the following vintage. As is to celebrate his professional coming of age, Dredge's 2011 Bay of Fires Pinot Noir won a coveted trophy trifecta at the 2013 Royal Sydney Wine Show. It was a first for a Pinot Noir winemaker.
With the help of Conor van der Reest (Moorilla) and Joe Holyman (Stoney Rise), Dredge launched Dr Edge in 2015. In 2016, he entered into partnership with Meadowbank Wines, enabling his side hustle alter-ego to gain volume while Dredge also set about lifting the wine quality and profile of the Ellis family operation.
These are ying and yang adventures.
Meadowbank. Conventional, precision-made, single vineyard wines from a well-established family estate. Unique Derwent Valley terroir.
Dr Edge. Adventurous, playful, often unpredictable and non-conformist. Explorations of Tasmanian regionality through lenses of cool climate Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir. Amphora. Concrete. Dazzling label art. Dr Ongo. Wine with an edge.
Joyful expression. Everything that devastating head injury failed to snuff out.
Key principals:
Peter Dredge, owner/director
Vineyard/cellar door address:
No cellar door. Wines sales online.
Telephone:
+61 (0) 439 448 151
Email:
peter@dr-edge.com
Website:
www.dr-edge.com
Tasmanian viticulture takes place within a diverse mix of soil types and microclimates.
Climate data* for three sites that contribute fruit to Dr Edge highlight the wide diversity of growing conditions in Tasmania.
South Australia's Piccadilly Valley* (MJT 20.4°C; 1730 GDD) and Victoria's Macedon Ranges* (MJT 19.9°C; 1365 GDD) are regarded as the coolest GIs in their respective states.
Climate data* for Meadowbank Road, Glenora 1995-2024:
- Total annual average rainfall: 583mm
- Growing season average rainfall (Oct 1-Apr 30): 297mm
- Average autumn rainfall: 119mm
- Mean January temperature: 17.1°C
- Growing degree-days: 954 GDD
- Average no of hot days (35°C or more) per year: 1
- Average no of cold days (minimum 4°C or less) Sept 1-April 30: 43
*Source: My Climate View, utilising past data from the Bureau of Meteorology and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Funded by the Australian Government.
Last page update: October 2025