Father of Aussie wine marks rare vintage

Ray Beckwith can toast the preserving effects of alcohol when he celebrates his 100th birthday today.
Working at South Australian winemaker Penfolds in 1936, Dr Beckwith, a scientist whose innovations laid the foundations of the Australian wine industry, hit upon the idea of using pH — a measure of acidity — as a means of preventing the microbial spoilage that had until then ruined 30 per cent of its annual production, writes Blair Speedy, in The Australian.