An Interview With Winemaker Shavaughn Wells

MEET SHAVAUGHN WELLS

Shaping celebrated red wines across continents

With over 30 years of experience, Shavaughn Wells is a highly-respected and accoladed industry leader. She joined Penfolds in 2017, working across the red wine portfolio. Her arrival coincided with her induction as a Baron of the Barossa, as well as her recognition in 2016 as Winestate Magazine’s Australian Winemaker of the Year. Never one to sit still, Shavaughn is a Len Evans Tutorial Scholar and a long‑standing wine show judge. Inspired by her love for the Barossa Valley, she continues to champion excellence in Australian wine globally. Shavaughn’s winemaking responsibilities have recently extended beyond Australia, and she now serves as a custodian of the Penfolds House Style on the ground in China.

MEET SHAVAUGHN WELLS

Shaping celebrated red wines across continents

With over 30 years of experience, Shavaughn Wells is a highly-respected and accoladed industry leader. She joined Penfolds in 2017, working across the red wine portfolio. Her arrival coincided with her induction as a Baron of the Barossa, as well as her recognition in 2016 as Winestate Magazine’s Australian Winemaker of the Year. Never one to sit still, Shavaughn is a Len Evans Tutorial Scholar and a long‑standing wine show judge. Inspired by her love for the Barossa Valley, she continues to champion excellence in Australian wine globally. Shavaughn’s winemaking responsibilities have recently extended beyond Australia, and she now serves as a custodian of the Penfolds House Style on the ground in China.

Can you tell us about how you ended up in the ‘family business’ of making wine?

I grew up on my family’s vineyard and have always felt at home surrounded by vines. Working with my father, I developed a deep appreciation for the cycles of the year. Vintage was always my highlight, a hectic time with an influx of people, heady scents that filled the air, and a sense that timing was everything. It’s dynamic and still excites me each year. My grandfather was also a winemaker passionate about all wine styles – table wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, Sherries and Brandy. My interest was also sparked by his passion for understanding and recording wine history.

What would you rate as your top experiences since joining Penfolds?

This is a very hard question. I’ve had so many amazing experiences. Being part of the Rewards of Patience tastings, seeing wines of legend side-by-side across decades or crafting Penfolds wines in new landscapes and collaborating to express the region through our House Style, are all amazing experiences. A pinch-me moment I’ll never forget is sharing the first release of Bin 21 Grenache (2022) with growers and our viticulture team. Penfolds pursuit of Grenache really began with the inaugural Cellar Reserve Grenache release in 2002. However, the link dates back many decades to its fortified past. In an era when we are making wine globally, rethinking varieties like Grenache in our Australian landscape shows Penfolds never sits still. A truly inspirational moment.

Classification is central to every Penfolds vintage. Why is it so important?

I have always been drawn to the history of wine and Penfolds is steeped in it. As a Penfolds winemaker we become custodians for wines with a long legacy. Generational transfer of knowledge is at the foundation, ensuring the heritage of our House Style. Final classification is the pinnacle of each vintage, a blind tasting, to tease out the quality and style of each parcel. At one of my first classification tastings, John Bird, former Penfolds Senior Winemaker with 60 vintages of experience, sat alongside our Chief Winemaker Peter Gago and Andrew Baldwin and the broader team. I’m not sure how many collective years of experience were between them but, suffice to say, knowledge was there and shared.

How do you approach shaping the final blends of some of Penfolds most celebrated wines?

It is not always easy to articulate a sensory experience into words. Knowing your vineyards, and the characters they contribute, it all starts there. For me, layering texture begins with a foundation formed by the tannins, intrinsic to the differing soils and climates of individual vineyards. Each parcel needs to bring an element that fits within the greater framework, offering balance, length and longevity.

From your experience at Penfolds Re-corking Clinics, is there a particularly memorable wine?

A 1953 Grange Cabernet. A trial, an experiment, still varietal. It was a piece of history, a moment and now memory entrenched.

Recently you’ve begun working in China, what has surprised or inspired you?

We source fruit from two regions in China. Ningxia, known for its expanse and challenging winters where vines must be buried to protect them. And Shangri-La, with elevated vineyards tucked away on plateaus hidden at the base of the Himalayas. Discovering their unique attributes, and how these regions’ fruit unite with our House Style, is a constant process of surprise. The passion and curiosity of our team, and the generous sharing of knowledge, are an inspirational and ever humbling continuation of my experience in wine. And the food is amazing!

What advice would you share for younger winemakers entering the industry?

The wine world is one of great history and experience – understanding that can be formative. Revisit and challenge. Harness curiosity to bring about evolution. Understand the vineyards. Embrace change, it’s a constant. And find joy in this old endeavour, knowing that people and conversation are at its heart.

Finally, after a long day in the winery, what’s your go-to wine?

How to answer this? Grenache, Champagne, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet… too many choices!