Shingleback Wine Competitors

The success of Penfolds has been driven by the generations of visionaries and innovators. From the beginning in 1844 to today, the merging of science, art and innovation has driven Penfolds to become one of Australia’s most famed and respected winemakers.

Shaw + Smith was established in 1989 by cousins Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw. They focus on varieties that suit the cooler Hills climate: Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Shaw + Smith own three vineyards, in Lenswood, Piccadilly and Balhannah. Growing the best possible grapes, managing vineyards sustainably, and valuing vine health, soil health, and low yields are central to the Shaw + Smith approach. In the pursuit of quality the wines are fermented, aged and bottled on site at Balhannah. The wines are vibrant, modern expressions of their varieties, their sites and the season. Shaw + Smith’s first vintage was in 1990 and in 1999 they purchased a property at Balhannah, where they planted vines, and built the winery and tasting room in time for the 2000 vintage. As the business has grown Michael and Martin have built a formidable team - including Master of Wine and Joint CEO David LeMire, Senior Winemaker and Joint CEO Adam Wadewitz, CFO Grant Lovelock and Group Viticulturist Murray Leake.

Established in 1868, Henschke is a sixth generation family-owned winery with over 145 years of grapegrowing and winemaking experience. Stephen and Prue Henschke, the fifth generation of the Henschke winemaking family are working towards sustainability in their vineyards using organic and biodynamic principles. The Henschke family has been making wine since Johann Christian Henschke planted a small vineyard on his diverse farming property at Keyneton in 1862. He was one of many Silesians who had fled their homeland in search of religious freedom, and he arrived from Kutschlau in 1841. The wine was initially intended for consumption by family and friends, but with the first commercial release in 1868, believed to be principally riesling and shiraz, the wheels were set in motion for greater things to come. Each generation has built upon the foundations of Henschke. In more recent times, fourth-generation Cyril Henschke pioneered varietal and single-vineyard wines at a time when blended wines and fortifieds were in vogue. His greatest legacy was the creation of Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone in the 1950s, shiraz wines from Eden Valley that have captured the red wine world’s imagination.