Over the next century, the family business rose to dominate the Australian wine industry but it was only in 1950 that the decision was taken to make table wines instead of fortified wines. Penfolds Grange was born and the benchmark for quality and consistency for Australian wine was set.

Today, the industrial group Southcorp owns Penfolds and are responsible for the entire portfolio of quality wines produced at the winery.

Viticulture and Vinification

Peter Gago is the current winemaker at Penfolds and, like his predecessors, does not support the single vineyard philosophy. Instead grapes are sourced from numerous vineyards from districts as varied as the Barossa Valley, the Hunter Valley, McLaren Vale and Magill. This enables the production of consistent wines, since the decimation of an entire harvest across multiple districts is highly unlikely.

Penfolds Grange is a rich, Shiraz-dominated blend that is aged in new American oak barrels for up to 20 months, creating a complex wine of great ageing potential.

Varieties

• For fruit used to make Penfolds Grange, Shiraz is the most widely planted variety along with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. Many other international varieties for the Penfolds portfolio are also planted in their extensive vineyards.

Wines Produced

• Grange – Shiraz (95%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%)