Showcasing South Australia

The S.C. Pannell label was born in 2004, when Stephen and Fiona bravely established a new brand dedicated to their adopted region of McLaren Vale. Perhaps most directly influenced by Stephen’s experience as Chief Red Winemaker at BRL Hardy, the choice of McLaren Vale was founded in the confidence of a region with an already established reputation, but, more importantly, also one that had the potential for a ground-breaking future.

Stephen’s vision of what was possible was equally shaped by his childhood upbringing on Margaret River’s renowned Moss Wood, as well as later tenures at some of the leading family estates of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo and Priorat.

Career highlights include: International Red Winemaker of the year at the International Wine Challenge 1999, Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the year in 2015, named one of the 50 most influential contributors to the world of wine by Decanter Magazine, twice winning the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show, twice winning the Max Schubert Trophy at the Adelaide Wine Show and, perhaps most importantly of all, winning the Bushing Trophy for best red wine of show in McLaren Vale no less than four times: 2011, 2015, 2016, 2018, the first winemaker in McLaren Vale history to do so.