Kate Goodman

Coming Up

Since 2003, Kate Goodman has run own company, building a body of work with steady control and little interest in spectacle. The line through that period is accumulation: experience, confidence, and a house style shaped by repetition and judgement. In 2016, she took on Penley Estate in Coonawarra as head winemaker, adding a second platform for the same approach. The move broadened the scope of the work, but not its terms.

Where They Are Now

At Penley Estate, the current brief is clear: earlier picking, earlier bottling, less oak, and more emphasis on freshness, energy and life. Kate Goodman describes the method without adornment, and that directness is part of the style. The aim is wines that stay contemporary while still reflecting home, with enough restraint to leave the contours visible. Her first harvest there in 2016 set the reference point: no inherited regional script, just the work itself.

Career - Founder — Own company (2003–present) - Head winemaker — Penley Estate, Coonawarra (2016–present)

Signature

Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon sits among Kate's signature wines, and it shows the kind of balance she works toward: structure held against lift, with the frame kept in view rather than buried under oak or weight.

In Their Words “We’re picking earlier. We’re bottling earlier. We’re using less oak in our wines. We’re bottling with freshness and energy and life in our wines. We’re making wines that are contemporary yet still reflect our home.” “My first harvest here was 2016, and I guess I came in with no expectations and no influence from the rest of the region, just got on and did our thing.”

FAQ What is Kate Goodman's current role? As of 2026, Kate Goodman is Head Winemaker. What recognition has Kate Goodman received? Australian Winemaker of the Year (2024).