Penfolds

Christopher and Mary Penfold arrived in Australia from Angmering, West Sussex, UK, at the respective ages of 33 and 24,{{cite web |author= D. I. McDonald |title= Penfold, Christopher Rawson (1811–1870) |work= Australian Dictionary of Biography |publisher= National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |year= 1974 |url= http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/penfold-christopher-rawson-4387/text7143 |access-date= 10 July 2013 }} in June 1844.

Following their arrival, they were supported by family members in the attainment of the {{convert|500|acre|ha}} Magill (originally "Mackgill") Estate at the foot of the Mount Lofty Ranges. As part of the cultivation of the land surrounding the cottage that the couple built (named "The Grange"), French grape vine cuttings that had been brought from England were planted.

Christopher was a believer in the medicinal benefits of wine, and both he and Mary planned to concoct a wine tonic for the treatment of anaemia; Christopher had set up his practice on the eastern outskirts of Adelaide, South Australia.{{cite web |title=Penfolds |url=http://www.tweglobal.com/our-brands/australia-new-zealand/penfolds/ |publisher=Treasury Wine Estates |access-date=31 March 2013 |year=2013 |archive-date=22 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130322062226/http://www.tweglobal.com/our-brands/australia-new-zealand/penfolds/ |url-status=dead }}

Initially, the Penfolds produced fortified wines in the style of sherry and port for Christopher's patients. As demand for the wines increased, the winery was expanded and was officially established in 1844. In addition to sherry and port, the Penfolds discovered that clarets and rieslings were both easy to produce and popular. As the demand for Christopher's medical services increased, Mary was required to devote more time to the operation of the winery, and her tasks included the cultivation of the vines and grape blending.

Mary assumed the running of the winery after her husband died in 1870 at the age of 59. According to one historical account, by the time of Christopher's death the business had "grown to over 60 acres with several different grape varieties including grenache, verdelho, mataro (mourvedre), frontignac and pedro ximenez", and the estate was "producing both sweet and dry red and white table wines with a growing market in the eastern Australian colonies of Victoria and New South Wales."{{citation needed|date=July 2013}} At this time,{{when|date=July 2013}} the Penfolds' son-in-law, Thomas Francis Hyland, was unaware of Mary's fundamental role at the winery, and he urged his mother-in-law to sell the business as preparation for her retirement.{{citation needed|date=July 2013}} Mary did not accept Hyland's advice, and eventually brokered a partnership agreement that resulted in Hyland remaining in Melbourne, while Mary continued her work at the winery in Adelaide.

A journalist reported in 1874, four years after the death of Christopher Penfold, that Mary blended "the wines when they are two or three years old", a process that "is done under Mrs Penfold's personal supervision, not in conformity with any fixed and definite rule, but entirely according to her judgement and taste". The reporter stated that there was "about 20,000 gallons of wine of that age ready for the market", with a "total stock ... close upon 90,000 gallons".{{citation needed|date=July 2013}} During her tenure, Mary engaged in experimentation, explored new methods of wine production, looked into ways of combating diseases like phylloxera, and engaged a cellar master by the name of Joseph Gillard.

Mary retired in 1884, aged 68; at that time the winery owned about a third of all of South Australia's wine stores, and had presented at a colonial exhibition in London.

Following Mary's retirement, her daughter Georgina, and son-in-law Thomas Hyland, assumed responsibility for the day-to-day running of the winery. Subsequently, the business was passed on to their two sons and two daughters. Mary died in 1896,

Gladys Penfold Hyland became the chair of the board in 1948 after her husband died. Under her leadership the company's reputation for creating fine wines increased as she backed Max Schubert as he developed the Grange wine. She led the board until 1962 when the company went public. Gladys was a director until 1963.{{Citation |last=Rutledge |first=Martha |title=Gladys Penfold Hyland (1886–1974) |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/penfold-hyland-gladys-11362 |access-date=2024-02-25 |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en}} The Penfold family retained a controlling interest until 1976.{{Citation needed|date=March 2013}}

In 1903, Penfolds was the largest winery in the Adelaide region, with a production total of {{convert|450,000|L|gal}} of wine. Between 1904 and 1912, more vineyards in McLaren Vale and New South Wales were purchased.{{cite book |last=Halliday |first=James |title=The Australian Wine Encyclopedia |year=2010 |publisher=Hardie Grant Books |isbn=978-1-74066-774-6 |pages=214}}

During the 1940s and 1950s, the company changed its focus and commenced the production of table wines to accommodate changing tastes. This new direction led to experiments by Penfolds' chief winemaker, Max Schubert, who backed by the chair of the board visited Europe following the end of World War II to learn about sherry production; however, it was the time spent by Schubert in Bordeaux that eventually led to the production of Penfolds' and Australia's most famous wine, "Grange Hermitage", later renamed "Grange". In the 1960s the company introduced a series of red wines: Bin 389, Bin 707, Bin 28 and Bin 128, that became the highlights of the Penfolds brand.{{cite web |title=Penfolds History |url=http://www.penfolds.com/en/Penfolds/Penfolds-History.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130410175645/http://www.penfolds.com/en/Penfolds/Penfolds-History.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 April 2013 |publisher=Penfolds Wines |access-date=31 March 2013 |year=2013 }}

In 1976, control of Penfolds was acquired by Tooth and Co., a brewer based in New South Wales, which in 1982 became part of the Adelaide Steamship Company Group. In 1990, SA Brewing purchased Adelaide Steamship's wineries. Subsequently, SA Brewing was divided into three separate entities: the brewing assets retained the S.A. Brewing name, the wine assets were named Southcorp Wines, and the 'white goods' and other manufacturing interests became Southcorp, an Australian conglomerate.[https://www.intelligentinvestor.com.au/shares/company/southcorp-limited-srp-251330 Southcorp Limited Overview], The Intelligent Investor, accessed 04/06/2015 It was also in 1976 that Schubert stood down from the position of Penfolds Chief Winemaker, a role that was passed onto Don Ditter.

In 1977, Penfolds began what was to be an almost twenty-year association with Sydney-based rugby league team, the St George Dragons as the club's primary sponsor. This association saw the Dragons play five 'home' games at the Adelaide Oval between 1991 and 1995, with the 1991 game attracting 28,884 fans. The Dragons, with Penfolds as their sponsor, would win the Sydney premiership in 1977 and 1979, while appearing in the 1985, 1992 and 1993 Grand Finals. Penfolds ended their association with St George at the end of 1995.

Southcorp Wines became a part of the Foster's Group in 2005. In 2011, Fosters Group shareholders voted to demerge the wine operations from the brewing operations, and form two separate companies; Foster's wine business became Treasury Wine Estates (TWE). Headquartered in Melbourne, it was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and began operating as a standalone company on 9 May 2011.{{cite web |title=History |url=http://www.tweglobal.com/about/history/ |publisher= Treasury Wine Estates |access-date=31 March 2013 |year=2013}}

Since then, Penfolds operates two wineries: Magill Estate, at the base of Adelaide's eastern foothills,{{cite web |title=Magill Estate |url=http://www.penfolds.com/en/Cellar-Doors/Magill-Estate.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412175427/http://www.penfolds.com/en/Cellar-Doors/Magill-Estate.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 April 2013 |publisher=Penfolds Wines |access-date=31 March 2013 |year=2013 }} and Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley.{{cite web |title=Barossa Valley |url=http://www.penfolds.com/en/Cellar-Doors/Barossa-Valley.aspx |publisher=Penfolds Wines |access-date=31 March 2013 |year=2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412175449/http://www.penfolds.com/en/Cellar-Doors/Barossa-Valley.aspx |archive-date=12 April 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}

In June 2012 Penfolds released a limited edition run of the "2004 Block 42" wine that was only sold in glass ampoules. The wine was labelled by the Huffington Post publication as "the most expensive wine directly sold from a winery in the world", as the winery sought US$168,000 for each of the ampoules. The glass ampoules were designed and hand-blown by Australian glass artist Nick Mount.{{cite web |title= World's Most Expensive Wine: Penfold's Debuts $168,000 Bottle Enclosed In Glass |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/28/worlds-most-expensive-wine_n_1634523.html |work=The Huffington Post |publisher=AOL-HuffPost Food |access-date=31 March 2013 |date=6 June 2012}}

File:Penfolds Magill 20190626 155109.jpg

Penfolds operates a number of vineyards in the South Australian wine regions that produce a wide range of grape varieties:

• Adelaide
• Magill Estate ({{convert|5.34|ha|acre}}) – shiraz
• Barossa Valley
• Kalimna ({{convert|290|ha|acre}}-property, {{convert|153|ha|acre}} under vine) – shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, mataro (mourvèdre), eight rows of sangiovese{{cite web |title=Kalimna |url=http://www.penfolds.com/en/Vineyards/Barossa-Valley/Kalimna.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412175029/http://www.penfolds.com/en/Vineyards/Barossa-Valley/Kalimna.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 April 2013 |publisher=Penfolds Wines |access-date=31 March 2013 |year=2013 }}
• Koonunga Hill ({{convert|93|ha|acre}}) – shiraz, cabernet sauvignon{{cite web |title=Koonunga Hill |publisher=Penfolds Wines |url=http://www.penfolds.com/en/Vineyards/Barossa-Valley/Koonunga-Hill.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412175102/http://www.penfolds.com/en/Vineyards/Barossa-Valley/Koonunga-Hill.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 April 2013 |access-date=31 March 2013 |year=2013 }}
• Waltons ({{convert|317|ha|acre}}, {{convert|130|ha|acre}} planted) – shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, mataro (mourvèdre){{cite web |title=The Waltons |url=http://www.penfolds.com/en/Vineyards/Barossa-Valley/The-Waltons.aspx |publisher=Penfolds Wines |access-date=31 March 2013 |year=2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412175125/http://www.penfolds.com/en/Vineyards/Barossa-Valley/The-Waltons.aspx |archive-date=12 April 2013 |df=dmy-all }}
• Stonewell ({{convert|33|ha|acre}}) – shiraz, cabernet sauvignon{{cite web |title=Stonewell Vineyard |url=http://www.penfolds.com/en/Vineyards/Barossa-Valley/Stonewell.aspx |publisher=Penfolds Wines |access-date=31 March 2013 |year=2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412175150/http://www.penfolds.com/en/Vineyards/Barossa-Valley/Stonewell.aspx |archive-date=12 April 2013 |df=dmy-all }}
• Eden Valley
• Woodbury ({{convert|69.56|ha|acre}}){{cite web |title=Eden Valley |url=http://www.penfolds.com/en/Vineyards/Eden-Valley.aspx |publisher=Penfolds Wines |access-date=31 March 2013 |year=2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412175234/http://www.penfolds.com/en/Vineyards/Eden-Valley.aspx |archive-date=12 April 2013 |df=dmy-all }}
• McLaren Vale ({{convert|141|ha|acre}} across four vineyards) – shiraz, grenache and cabernet sauvignon{{cite web |title=McLaren Vale |url=http://www.penfolds.com/en/Vineyards/McLaren-Vale.aspx |publisher=Penfolds Wines |access-date=31 March 2013 |year=2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412175303/http://www.penfolds.com/en/Vineyards/McLaren-Vale.aspx |archive-date=12 April 2013 |df=dmy-all }}
• Coonawarra (close to {{convert|50|ha|acre}}) – mainly cabernet sauvignon and shiraz{{cite web |title=Coonawarra |url=http://www.penfolds.com/en/Vineyards/Coonawarra.aspx |work=Penfolds |publisher=Penfolds Wines |access-date=31 March 2013 |year=2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412175336/http://www.penfolds.com/en/Vineyards/Coonawarra.aspx |archive-date=12 April 2013 |df=dmy-all }}

First used in 1923, the Penfolds logo is one of Australia's most recognised trademarks.{{cite web |title=Brand Search |url=http://tmarque.com.au/search/?q=%22penfolds%22 |work=TMarque |publisher=Remarqueble Pty Ltd |access-date=22 April 2015 |year=2008–2015}} Eight Penfolds wines were named by the Langtons auction house in its 2012 list of the top 20 most-desired brands.{{cite web |title=Penfolds: one of Australia's most-desired brands |url=http://www.harpers.co.uk/news/news-headlines/11688-penfolds-one-of-australias-most-desired-brands- |work=Harpers |publisher=William Reed Business Media Ltd |access-date=31 March 2013 |author=Gemma McKenna |date=6 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130420112805/http://www.harpers.co.uk/news/news-headlines/11688-penfolds-one-of-australias-most-desired-brands- |archive-date=20 April 2013 |df=dmy-all }}

In 2013 Penfolds was awarded "New World Winery of the Year" by American wine industry publication, Wine Enthusiast Magazine.{{cite web|url=http://www.winemag.com/Web-2013/Announcing-Wine-Enthusiasts-2013-Wine-Star-Award-Winners/|title=Announcing Wine Enthusiast's 2013 Wine Star Award Winners|date=13 November 2013|work=Wine Enthusiast Magazine|access-date=10 February 2014}}

In 2016, Penfolds was named the Most Admired Wine Brand by Drinks International.{{Cite web|url=https://www.penfolds.com/about-penfolds/winemaking/awards-accolades|title=Wine Scores & Accolades {{!}} Penfolds {{!}} Penfolds Wines|website=www.penfolds.com|access-date=2019-02-15}}

Penfolds Grange was classified as a First Growth in Liv-ev's 2017 recreation of the Bordeaux 1855 classification.{{Cite web|url=https://www.liv-ex.com/2017/07/liv-ex-2017-classification-global-rankings/|title=Liv-ex 2017 Classification – the global rankings|last=Liv-ex|date=2017-07-12|website=Liv-ex|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-02-15}}

The only Australian winery to receive a perfect score from both Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate for the same vintage (Grange 2008).

Grange 1955 was named one of the Top 12 Wines of the 20th Century by Wine Spectator.{{Cite web|url=https://www.winespectator.com/magazine/show/id/8060|title=Wines of the Century {{!}} Features {{!}} News & Features {{!}} Wine Spectator|website=WineSpectator.com|language=en|access-date=2019-02-15}}

In 2012, Penfolds listed as a partner of the (RED) campaign, together with Nike, Girl, American Express and Converse. The campaign's mission is to prevent the transmission of the HIV virus from mother to child by 2015. The campaign's byline is "Fighting For An AIDS Free Generation".{{cite web |title=(RED) |work=(RED) Partners |url=http://www.joinred.com/aboutred/red-partners/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528191704/http://www.joinred.com/aboutred/red-partners/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 May 2012 |publisher=The ONE Campaign |access-date=13 October 2012 |year=2012 |df=dmy-all }}{{Update inline|date=September 2024}}

• His father John Penfold was vicar at Steyning, UK from 1792 until his death in 1840. {{Citation needed|date=September 2015}}
• Born 2 August 1811 in Steyning, UK.
• One of his sisters, Frances Esther Penfold, married Courtney Clarke of Larch Hill, County Dublin, in Ireland.{{cn|date=August 2021}}
• Arrived in Australia on 18 June 1844 on the Taglioni,{{cite web|url=https://bound-for-south-australia.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/1844Taglioni.htm| website= Bound for South Australia| title=Taglioni 1844| publisher= State Library of South Australia| access-date=14 August 2021}} after having paid a deposit for {{cvt|500|acre}} of land in Magill to the Colonial Land and Emigration Commission before departure.
• Became the first chairman of the District Council of Burnside in 1856.
• Died 1870.
• Penfold Park, situated near the top of The Parade, is named after him.{{cite web| url=https://www.burnside.sa.gov.au/Parks/Penfold-Park| website= City of Burnside| title=Penfold Park| access-date=16 August 2021}}
• Wattle Park Kindergarten, at Wattle Park, was formerly named Christopher Rawson Penfold Kindergarten.{{cite web | title=Wattle Park Kindergarten - Connecting Up Australia | website=SAcommunity | url=https://sacommunity.org/org/196227-Wattle_Park_Kindergarten|date= 26 June 2020| access-date=16 August 2021}}

{{main article|Mary Penfold}}

• Wife of Christopher Penfold.
• Became fundamental in the development of the winery after the demands upon Christopher's medical practice increased.
• Assumed responsibility of the winery following Christopher's death.

{{main article|Thomas Francis Hyland}}

• Son-in-law who married the Penfolds' daughter Georgina.
• Continued to run the wine business with Georgina after Mary's retirement.

• Granddaughter who was sent to live with her grandmother Mary Penfold. Assumed responsibility of the business with her siblings after it was passed on to them by Georgina and Thomas.

• Grange Avenue: named after the Penfolds' family cottage
• Hyland Terrace: named after Thomas Hyland
• Inez Court: named after Inez Penfold Hyland
• Mary Penfold Drive: named after Mary Penfold
• Penfold Road: named after Mary and Christopher Penfold
• Rawson Penfold Drive: named after Christopher Rawson Penfold

{{portal||South Australia|Wine}}

• Australian wine
• Cult wine
• Penfolds Grange
• South Australian wine
• List of wineries in the Barossa Valley

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Penfolds Magill Estate}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20061004030932/http://penfolds.com.au/ Penfolds official website]

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{{Langton's Classification of Australian Wine VI - Producers}}

Category:Wineries in South Australia

Category:Barossa Valley

Category:Treasury Wine Estates

Category:Luxury brands

Category:Australian companies established in 1844

Category:Food and drink companies established in 1844