This story about Mary Penfold places her at the heart of winemaking in Australia and gives a vivid account of viticulture in this country. It is the latest book by Grantlee Kieza, one of Australia’s most prolific biographers.
Mary and her doctor husband emigrated in the mid-19th century from England to South Australia, where they bought land on Adelaide’s outskirts. While her husband, Dr Chris Penfold, enthusiastic about bringing vine cuttings to the new colony, was busy with his patients’ care, she supervised the growth and care of those cuttings.
Her German-born grandfather, George Astor, had built up a London business manufacturing musical instruments; and his brother, John Jacob Astor, became America’s first multimillionaire.
This book tells Australia’s colonial history, but also the history of winemaking in Europe. Kieza writes about immigrants bound for the Australian colonies collecting vine cuttings along the way; and the eventual practice of sending their wines to British individuals, including Queen Victoria, and to exhibitions held in England.
While Mary first became skilled at making wine for her husband to use medicinally, for some years before that many of the more famous … and notorious … names in Australian history had been experimenting with growing grapes to make wine.
Mary supervised the growing of vines, made the wine, and battled authorities over inter-colony border duties, but it was her husband who was credited with owning the operation. After his death she took firm control of the business and her wines became internationally recognised.
Mary and Chris Penfold had named their property The Grange. That name was used by winemaker Max Schubert in 1952 for the most world-famous of the Penfold products.
Wine lovers should raise a glass to it and Mary!
Book review by Jennifer Somerville
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHORAward-winning journalist Grantlee Kieza OAM held senior editorial positions at The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and The Courier-Mail for many years and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his writing. He is a Walkley Award finalist and the author of more than twenty acclaimed books, including bestsellers Sister Viv, Flinders, Hudson Fysh, Banks, Banjo and Mrs Kelly.
Mary Penfold was published in 2025.
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