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Mary Penfold
The inspiring story of Mary Penfold, the mother of the Australian wine industry - a self-taught vintner and business genius who emigrated to a frontier settlement and built her family's small vineyard into one of the world's most respected winemakers
Bestselling author and biographer Grantlee Kieza turns his focus to the birth of the Australian wine industry and the mother, business leader and pioneering vintner Mary Penfold, who grew her garden vineyard into a world renowned wine empire.
Closely related to one of the world's wealthiest families, Mary was a new mother when she packed up her baby daughter and left all the comforts of her seaside home in England in 1844 to follow her husband Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold as he chased his dream of starting a new life in the infant colony of South Australia.
Mary and Christopher settled on a farm in the Adelaide Hills, and as Christopher made his rounds visiting patients on horseback, Mary and her maid Ellen Timbrell tended grapevines that the Penfolds had sourced from the south of France and planted in the garden beside their stone cottage, which they named The Grange.
At first the wines Mary made were used as tonics for Christopher's patients, but at a time when women were often excluded from commerce and given little recognition for their business endeavours, Mary transformed her cottage industry into an empire. She expanded her vineyard, developed new styles of her product and built a flourishing company that supplied not only Australia's demand for high quality wine, but thirsty export markets as well.
Wine had been part of the Australian landscape since the First Fleet delivered vines along with the convicts and free settlers to Sydney Cove in 1788, and 'The Commander in Chief', as Mary was affectionately known, helped make the Australian wine industry the envy of the world. Riding her white mare and using her spy glass among the vines to oversee her creation, her brilliance as a vintner and great business mind lives on today with Penfolds Grange being one of the most sought after wines in the world.
PRAISE
'An uplifting tale of dreams and resolution ... A life as rich as the wines Mary worked so hard to make' Sydney Morning Herald
'An inspiring portrait .. A pioneer who proved that women could lead in industry at a time when they were rarely acknowledged' Books+Publishing
Bestselling author and biographer Grantlee Kieza turns his focus to the birth of the Australian wine industry and the mother, business leader and pioneering vintner Mary Penfold, who grew her garden vineyard into a world renowned wine empire.
Closely related to one of the world's wealthiest families, Mary was a new mother when she packed up her baby daughter and left all the comforts of her seaside home in England in 1844 to follow her husband Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold as he chased his dream of starting a new life in the infant colony of South Australia.
Mary and Christopher settled on a farm in the Adelaide Hills, and as Christopher made his rounds visiting patients on horseback, Mary and her maid Ellen Timbrell tended grapevines that the Penfolds had sourced from the south of France and planted in the garden beside their stone cottage, which they named The Grange.
At first the wines Mary made were used as tonics for Christopher's patients, but at a time when women were often excluded from commerce and given little recognition for their business endeavours, Mary transformed her cottage industry into an empire. She expanded her vineyard, developed new styles of her product and built a flourishing company that supplied not only Australia's demand for high quality wine, but thirsty export markets as well.
Wine had been part of the Australian landscape since the First Fleet delivered vines along with the convicts and free settlers to Sydney Cove in 1788, and 'The Commander in Chief', as Mary was affectionately known, helped make the Australian wine industry the envy of the world. Riding her white mare and using her spy glass among the vines to oversee her creation, her brilliance as a vintner and great business mind lives on today with Penfolds Grange being one of the most sought after wines in the world.
PRAISE
'An uplifting tale of dreams and resolution ... A life as rich as the wines Mary worked so hard to make' Sydney Morning Herald
'An inspiring portrait .. A pioneer who proved that women could lead in industry at a time when they were rarely acknowledged' Books+Publishing
514 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2025
30 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 9, 2026
Mary Penfold by Grantlee Kieza is the latest, brand new biography telling the life of Mary Penfold and the story of wine in Australia and the woman who built an empire from her very own garden vineyard.
Set on a whitewashed cottage named as The Grange in the Adelaide Hills you'll learn all about her life.
I found it very interesting hearing about the early days of grapes, vineyards and wine-making in Australia and how the roots of the vines which produce the grapes were delivered in the pioneer days by ship from across the seas as far as Europe to produce the vines we may have today.
It was important to note that by 1844 grapes had grown in Australia for fifty six years.
The first grapes were from Tasmania and shipped on the Bounty.
Mary Penfold was a brilliant winemaker who made Australian wine the envy of the world.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this new biography Mary Penfold by Grantlee Kieza with a glass of Penfolds wine close by!
* Note: This biography, Mary Penfold has an outstanding cover adorned with grapes and gold with an illustration and artist's work of Mary Penfold, herself on the cover and there are many other illustrations and photographs throughout the book.
- Collector's Edition -
Set on a whitewashed cottage named as The Grange in the Adelaide Hills you'll learn all about her life.
I found it very interesting hearing about the early days of grapes, vineyards and wine-making in Australia and how the roots of the vines which produce the grapes were delivered in the pioneer days by ship from across the seas as far as Europe to produce the vines we may have today.
It was important to note that by 1844 grapes had grown in Australia for fifty six years.
The first grapes were from Tasmania and shipped on the Bounty.
Mary Penfold was a brilliant winemaker who made Australian wine the envy of the world.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this new biography Mary Penfold by Grantlee Kieza with a glass of Penfolds wine close by!
* Note: This biography, Mary Penfold has an outstanding cover adorned with grapes and gold with an illustration and artist's work of Mary Penfold, herself on the cover and there are many other illustrations and photographs throughout the book.
- Collector's Edition -
November 10, 2025
I love wine and visiting wine regions, so this book was fascinating for me. Also loved the way a woman was always overlooked. An amazing woman living in difficult times. It is more like reading a history than a story, but it is well worth reading.
February 17, 2026
Recommended by a relative who knew I was interested in the history of winemaking in Australia and also bound to be impressed by a biography of a woman who had otherwise escaped a lot of historical notice.
I found a lot to interest me in this biography of the woman who in 1844 came to South Australia with her husband, an apothecary (who then practised as a doctor). Christopher Penfold was first interested in the medicinal properties of wine but thought far enough ahead to take vine cuttings from France with him on the long voyage to Australia.
Once on a block of land which is now the Magill Estate, he and his wife established vineyards. With Christopher busy with his medical practice, Mary took charge of many of the plans and activities as their vineyard business and wine production grew. After her husband's death, she was the main driver for making the Penfold name famous.
As a relatively recent resident in South Australia I was also pleased to learn a lot more about the early days of settlement. I learned, for example, of the plans to include the Aboriginal people as full citizens - a vision that sadly was never fulfilled.
I didn't read the book from cover to cover. I found there were many sections that seemed irrelevant to the main story of Mary and Penfold wines - for example what other members of her family and her husband's family did back in England and in America. I also felt that although there was a lot of information about Mary and her life, she didn't spring off the page as a real person. Perhaps, as mainly a fiction reader, I missed the spice of an author's imagination. This book is thoroughly researched though and a tribute to its subject.
I found a lot to interest me in this biography of the woman who in 1844 came to South Australia with her husband, an apothecary (who then practised as a doctor). Christopher Penfold was first interested in the medicinal properties of wine but thought far enough ahead to take vine cuttings from France with him on the long voyage to Australia.
Once on a block of land which is now the Magill Estate, he and his wife established vineyards. With Christopher busy with his medical practice, Mary took charge of many of the plans and activities as their vineyard business and wine production grew. After her husband's death, she was the main driver for making the Penfold name famous.
As a relatively recent resident in South Australia I was also pleased to learn a lot more about the early days of settlement. I learned, for example, of the plans to include the Aboriginal people as full citizens - a vision that sadly was never fulfilled.
I didn't read the book from cover to cover. I found there were many sections that seemed irrelevant to the main story of Mary and Penfold wines - for example what other members of her family and her husband's family did back in England and in America. I also felt that although there was a lot of information about Mary and her life, she didn't spring off the page as a real person. Perhaps, as mainly a fiction reader, I missed the spice of an author's imagination. This book is thoroughly researched though and a tribute to its subject.
November 26, 2025
Very enjoyable - interesting to know the story of Australian wine too
February 21, 2026
A woman who deserves great credit for building a big business at a time when female achievements were so often overlooked. Five stars
March 6, 2026
Great book to read, very approachable for people wanting to learn more about the great history of Australia.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews