Christopher Rawson Penfold began it all. A doctor, with an eye for medicinal winemaking, he and his wife, Mary sought a new life in Australia.  One filled with hope and prosperity. 

They found it in Magill Estate, near Adelaide. Here, Christopher planted vines and set in motion philosophies that remain with us to this day.

As with the time, Christopher was seen at the forefront of the winery. However, behind every great man is a great woman. Mary Penfold is the unsung chief of Penfolds with many of experimentations, growth and winemaking philosophies originating from her. 

Everything she knew about wine, she taught herself – insisting on having the grapes blended to her own taste. A woman standing confidently at the helm of a thriving business in the 1800s was unheard of. She’d command from a white mare, watching over the vineyard with her treasured spyglass close at hand.