The story began in 1844, when Dr Christopher Penfold and his wife Mary arrived in Adelaide from Britain, carrying French vine cuttings and a bold dream. On their new 500-acre property at Magill Estate, the vines were planted and they began producing wines for Christopher’s medical practice. Yet the demand for their red wine outpaced the doctor’s prescriptions – and so did the reputation of Penfolds.

While Christopher was seen as the figurehead, it was Mary Penfold who was in charge of winemaking and the driving force behind their success. Fearless and self-taught, she trusted her instincts in the cellar, blending to her own taste and refining her craft with each vintage. Her approach was daring for its time, a philosophy of innovation anchored by intuition.

When Christopher passed away in 1870 at their home, The Grange, Mary took the reins. With sharp business acumen and unshakeable resolve, she led Penfolds to international acclaim. By the time she stepped back, she had transformed the winery into a symbol of Australian ingenuity — her legacy still echoing through every bottle made today.

A century on from the origins of Penfolds, the Australian Spirit of adventure and discovery resurfaced. In 1950, Penfolds winemaker, Max Schubert, retraced a path back to France. Inspired by Bordeaux’s great wines, he dreamed of creating an Australian red that could age gracefully for decades. That spark became Penfolds Grange — today considered the nation’s greatest wine.

Schubert’s first experimental Grange was made in 1951 with the best Shiraz fruit, European inspiration and his own inventive winemaking. Asked to show his efforts to the Penfolds board, the project was rejected. With determination and courage, he continued making it in secret until, in 1960, the company finally relented, and Grange was put into production.

That same year, Schubert unveiled Bin 389, realising his dream to create “something different and lasting”. He paired Cabernet and Shiraz in near-equal measure — a blend discovered on his European travels but one forbidden in France by appellation law. The result became one of Australia’s most cellared wines, nicknamed 'Baby Grange'. It proved the legacy of Mary Penfold endured as Schubert pushed her blending concept further than ever before. Matured in some of the same barrels that once cradled its famous sibling the year before, Bin 389 carries a clear family resemblance – a wine that not only reflect Schubert’s vision but anchors a dynasty that endures today.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz brilliantly solves Cabernet’s infamous ‘doughnut effect’ – an observation from wine lovers on tasting: fruit bursts in at the start, bold tannins linger at the end, but sometimes it can feel a little hollow in the middle. That’s where Shiraz struts in – juicy, rich and indulgent, filling the hole with delicious generosity. Pair the two and you get the ultimate oozy jam doughnut: Cabernet sketching the outline, Shiraz spilling in the luscious centre.

This idea of blending isn’t unique to wine. In food, what was once daring – the collision of two global cuisines – is now second nature. Fusion has become our playground, with Tex-Mex fiestas one night and burgers laced with soy, miso or gochujang the next. Just as chefs mix and match flavours to create dishes greater than the sum of their parts, Cabernet and Shiraz have come together to form a timeless original and a blend that is unmistakably Australian.

Penfolds also pushes blending beyond grape varietals. Unlike Bordeaux, known for its strict vineyard hierarchies, Penfolds blends grapes from multiple sites, weaving strengths of diverse terroir to create remarkable consistency – a truly Australian way of thinking.

Even Cabernet Sauvignon carries its own blended heritage – a hybrid born in 17th-century Bordeaux when neighbouring Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc vines crossed paths.

Great chefs can showcase their flair far beyond their own kitchens, focusing on meticulously sourced local produce (wherever they are) into stories on a plate. Wine does the same.

Penfolds’ winemaking team’s unerring ability to source exceptional grapes has carried the Australian Spirit across borders, now shaping wines on French soil. What began as Max Schubert’s spark of inspiration in France decades ago has come full circle. Today, chief winemaker Peter Gago wields the 'Penfolds Lens' – a finely tuned eye for fruit and expert winemaking skill –carrying the house’s pioneering spirit and its self-written rulebook on multi-regional blending, from south Australia into the heart of France.

Having met Peter Gago on a couple of occasions in my wine wanderings, I can say he epitomises the friendly Australian — forging genuine relationships wherever he walks. This, combined with his expertise, has brought to life his bold vision to make wine in France.

 The FWT 585 (French Winemaking Trial) is their Bordeaux project. The recent 2022 release – a classic Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and just a sprinkle of Petit Verdot for seasoning – has the hallmark quality of the Penfolds Bin range they desire to uphold. Guiding the project in Bordeaux is Adelaide-born winemaker Shawna Bastow, whose presence on the ground is nurturing friendships and a shared vision using the Penfolds spirit of hard work, trust and camaraderie to retain harmony with local growers. She is ensuring these wines are not only crafted in France but are deeply connected to it, seamlessly merging the local offering and Penfolds know-how. Even the ‘585’ carries a story, linking past and present: the number drawn from Max Schubert’s total expenses on his first trip to Bordeaux.

For those still devoted to the Australian Cabernet-Shiraz profile, the FWT 543 bottling is Penfolds’ French soil alternative with a Cabernet-Syrah blend – a gentle step into exploration without straying far from familiar comforts.

The familial connection runs deeper still with the FWT project. Cabernet cuttings from Block 42 in the historic Penfolds Kalimna vineyard (believed to be the oldest continuously producing Cabernet Sauvignon in the world) have been planted in Bordeaux. The ancient vines themselves began as Bordeaux cuttings planted in 1888 and remain ungrafted; untouched by phylloxera. Their fruit carries rare intensity and depth – the most vivid and purest expression of Cabernet. This flows in the veins of Grange and Bin 389 and is now returned to its ancestral home.

Not content with Bordeaux alone, Gago has also broken ground into the prestigious Champagne region. Penfolds has partnered with family-owned Champagne house Thiénot. What may have begun with Aussie warmth, blossomed into friendship between Gago and managing director Stanislas Thiénot, built on a shared love of champagne and a mutual philosophy on wine styles. Collaborating since 2019, their latest release is Champagne Cuvée Brut Non-Vintage: a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. It's perfect as an aperitif and to share over friendships like theirs.

Who knows what Penfolds will do next. For now, they’ve achieved the unimaginable with these French releases. Tradition meets adventure, past meets present, and the Australian Spirit continues its journey, boldly and gracefully, from continent to continent, vineyard to vineyard, vintage to vintage.