News

Penley and the EcoVineyards Initiative Hundreds of years ago, organic viticulture was a given. But the pursuit of delicious wine in the modern era of new world wines is faced with an ongoing battle between monetary and environmental costs. The tension between chemical and organic, machine and man is constant. For Penley and our viticulturist Hans Loder, our environmental impact is increasingly front of mind. Penley’s vititculturist Hans Loder manages our 80 hectares under vine, and insists “in order for land to remain viable and vineyards to display resilience to extremes, we need to work smarter and give something back!”...

Originating in the southwest of France, Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s most planted grape variety. it has built a reputation for producing wines that are big, bold, robust and age worthy. Whilst Cabernet excels in this style, we would argue that it has been pigeonholed into a box, had its wings clipped, allowing only a single expression to be taken seriously.  At Penley, it is our belief that, given the opportunity, Cabernet Sauvignon can be many things. It is not a one trick pony and we’ve been on a mission to allow Cabernet to express itself in as many styles as possible.  When Kate...

The shift from synthetics to organics Over the last couple of years in the premium and ultra-premium segments of the wine industry, there’s been an undeniable shift (or return, rather) towards organic principles. As the evidence of global warming becomes more and more prevalent, it makes a lot of sense. An increased consumer demand for natural and organic wines and transparent processes is helping to put the focus back on the vineyard. Penley is committed to reducing its environmental footprint - not “from the ground up”, from the soil up.  Luckily for Penley and our wines, our Viticulturist Hans Loder is also a Geologist,...

Kate Goodman – our head winemaker – is driving from McLaren Vale to the Coonawarra winery and she's just stopped to buy a 'bloody horrendous' takeaway coffee. 'It's a first-world problem, I know,' she says, 'but if I've cut my coffee right back and if I'm going to only have one a day, then surely I deserve a good one.' And given the kind of magic she produces in the vineyard, we reckon she deserves the world. Or, at the very least, a drinkable flat white. You're almost at the winery: what's the first thing that you do? To be...