The Genius Of Penfolds Grange

No Australian winery is as much a national icon than Penfolds, which commemorates its flagship label Grange’s 70th anniversary with a 2021 release of The Penfolds Australia Collection.

- Yanni Tan

MENTION THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY WINE from Australia, and the first that comes to mind is undoubtedly Penfolds Grange. A National Trust heritagelisted wine, the label goes far beyond superlative quality – it captures both a sense of place and the essence of Australian winemaking ingenuity and innovation.

While wine lovers would know that Grange is one of Australia’s prestigious “First Growths” that rivals many established Old and New World estates’, it remains a lesser-known fact that this definitive modern wine boasts a fascinating heritage that showcases the brilliance of the early Australian pioneers and was in part inspired by the great houses of Bordeaux.

VISION AND TENACITY

The Penfolds winery was founded in 1844 by Dr Christopher Penfold and his wife Mary, who arrived in Adelaide just years after it was first settled in 1836. They brought with them vine cuttings from the south of France that they had cultivated to make wine for medicinal purposes. Their cottage, located in “the choicest land” spanning 500 acres in Mackgill (now known as Magill), was named The Grange.

Over the next 30 years, the winery grew many grape varietals suited to the local terroir such as shiraz, grenache, cabernet and mourvèdre, and created a distinctive “house style” that gained acclaim from far and wide, even receiving gold medals at the Paris Exhibitions in 1881 and 1893. The business thrived with its production of top-quality fortified wines and brandies, and continued to expand its premium vineyard holdings. By the early 20th century, Penfolds wines accounted for more than half of Australia’s total production.