Few winemakers in Australia have done as much for Grenache as Stephen Pannell. From his early days working across Europe's top wine regions, to becoming one of the most awarded and respected winemakers in Australia, Steve's journey has been one of bold moves, unrelenting curiosity, and a deep connection to place. And while he's been influential in shaping so much of the current state of play in McLaren Vale, it's perhaps with Grenache he's had the greatest impact.
Now, with the release of the 2022 Little Branch Grenache, Pannell is opening the latest chapter in his ongoing love affair with McLaren Vale’s flagship grape variety. But this isn’t just about a single wine. It’s the culmination of a career that has seen Steve champion Grenache from a time when few cared for it, to today, where it's one of the most thrilling varieties coming out of Australia.
"The hardest thing to do in winemaking is make something that's powerful and complex and intense and yet have restraint and delicacy and finesse. And that's what Grenache brings to the table."
- Stephen Pannell
From Moss Wood to McLaren Vale: A Lifelong Pursuit
Pannell’s story begins in Margaret River, where his family establish the famed Moss Wood vineyard. That pioneering spirit never left him. His early career took him to the hallowed regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo, and Priorat, working in some of the most prestigious wineries in the world. These experiences shaped his approach to winemaking, but it wasn’t until he returned to Australia as Chief Red Winemaker for BRL Hardy that his focus began to shift toward Grenache.
After eight years in this role, Pannell left Hardy’s in 2004 to establish his own label, S.C. Pannell, in McLaren Vale. It was here that Grenache became more than just a variety to him—it became his mission. “Grenache is the hardest grape to get right,” Pannell often says, but that challenge is precisely what fuels his passion. He sees Grenache as a variety uniquely suited to South Australia’s climate and soils, and over the years, he has helped bring it to the forefront of McLaren Vale’s identity.
"Grenache is there. We've got the vine age with it. We know its suitability and it makes beautiful wine that's elegant and fine."
- Stephen Pannell
At the heart of Steve’s winemaking philosophy is a dedication to the idea that wines should be grown, not made. This mantra reflects his respect for terroir and his belief that a wine should express its place of origin rather than the winemaker's ego. With Grenache, this means embracing the variety’s natural finesse and elegance. Pannell has been instrumental in shaping that narrative, advocating for a more restrained, sophisticated style of Grenache that speaks of McLaren Vale’s unique terroirs.
The Grenache Whisperer: Pushing Boundaries in McLaren Vale
One of Pannell’s greatest contributions to Australian wine has been his ability to draw out Grenache’s potential. McLaren Vale, with its Mediterranean climate and ancient soils, is perfectly suited to the variety, but for many years, it was overshadowed by Shiraz. Steve saw Grenache as McLaren Vale’s trump card, the variety that could express the region’s terroir with finesse and character like no other.
His early efforts—wines like Old McDonald Grenache and Smart Grenache—began turning heads, showing drinkers that Grenache could be both powerful and ethereal. He focused on picking early to preserve natural acidity, using whole bunch fermentation, and avoiding new oak to let the fruit and site characteristics shine through. Over time, he has come to view Grenache as a “magnifying glass for terroir,” allowing him to showcase the subtle differences between McLaren Vale’s varied sites.
"The way forward in the Australian wine industry is to make great, unique wine that speaks of site. If these wines all looked the same, we wouldn’t do it, but they’re very, very different from each other."
- Stephen Pannell
This philosophy has turned Pannell into a leader of the McLaren Vale Grenache movement, inspiring a new generation of winemakers to explore the potential of the variety. He has been vocal about the need to move away from the heavy-handed winemaking techniques of the past and embrace a style of wine that better reflects the modern Australian palate—fresher, more vibrant, and infinitely drinkable.
Little Branch: The Next Chapter of a Grenache Journey
In 2021, Steve took his Grenache obsession one step further, purchasing a new vineyard in Blewitt Springs—an area he jokingly describes as the “Grand Cru” of McLaren Vale Grenache. This site, which he christened Little Branch, sits at 140 metres above sea level on sandy, ironstone-flecked soils with 30-year-old vines. It’s here that Steve believes he can push McLaren Vale Grenache to its highest potential yet.
For Pannell, the decision to name the vineyard Little Branch was deeply personal. It’s a tribute to his wife Fiona’s family, particularly her parents Malcolm and Antoinette Lindquist, who have supported him from the very beginning. The name is a creative play on their Swedish surname, “Lindquist,” which translates to “Linden twig.”
"This is the first release of the vineyard, which I’m really, really happy with... It is more tannic than Smart... but it is always very expressive, with perfume and juiciness to the wine that’s always there."
- Stephen Pannell
The first release from this vineyard, the 2022 Little Branch Grenache, is a wine that encapsulates everything Steve has learned about Grenache over the decades. "This is the first release of the vineyard, which I’m really, really happy with. It’s not a sandy sort of Maslin sand at all. It’s this grey loam almost with ironstone pea gravel through the soil. It gives that pomegranate twist and a bit of rusticity or sanguine character to the wine," Steve explains. He notes that this Grenache “is more tannic than Smart (vineyard Grenache)” but has the same expressive character.
A Legacy Built on Grenache
Steve Pannell has spent his career pushing the boundaries of what Australian wine can be, and nowhere is that more evident than in his work with Grenache. From his early days advocating for the variety when few others were, to now, with Little Branch as the crown jewel of his Grenache story, Pannell has helped transform McLaren Vale into one of the world’s most exciting regions for this variety.
For those of us at Different Drop, it’s been a privilege to witness this evolution firsthand. Our relationship with Steve goes back over a decade and we’ve watched as he’s taken Grenache to new heights, culminating in this extraordinary vineyard and the first release of Little Branch.
With decades of experience under his belt, Stephen Pannell has firmly established himself as one of the true visionaries of Australian wine. And while Little Branch may be the latest chapter in his Grenache journey, you can be sure it won’t be the last.