i. Biography
The Path
Training at Roseworthy gave Pete Schell the technical base for a practical winemaking style, and Turkey Flat in Barossa Valley, South Australia, added the working context that would later inform Spinifex. In 2001, he founded Spinifex in Barossa Valley, South Australia, and took on the paired responsibility of founder and winemaker. Since then, the project has been shaped by continuity: the same region, the same label, and a method grounded in the accumulated experience that followed his early training.
The Work Today
At Spinifex, Pete Schell’s work remains tied to the day-to-day demands of making wine and to the longer task of keeping a label coherent over time. Since 2001, he has continued as founder and winemaker in Barossa Valley, South Australia, where the winery serves as the working expression of his approach. That continuity matters: it is where training, judgment, and persistence are put into practice, and where the identity of the producer has been built piece by piece.
Signature
La Maline, Lola, Esprit, and Papillon sit within the Spinifex range as the wines most closely associated with Pete Schell. They function as markers of the house style: different names, same label, and a shared place within the winery’s working vocabulary. Taken together, they show how Spinifex has been built through repetition, refinement, and attention to detail rather than through single, isolated statements.
Acclaim
Young Gun of Wine (2008) is the key recognition attached to Pete Schell. It arrived after Spinifex had already been established in 2001, and it placed the work in wider view without changing the terms of it. In that sense, the award reads as a checkpoint in an already active practice: one that had been set in motion by Roseworthy, carried through Turkey Flat, and given form at Spinifex in Barossa Valley, South Australia.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Pete
What is Pete Schell's current role?
As of 2026, Pete Schell is Winemaker at Spinifex.
Where did Pete Schell train or study?
Pete Schell trained at Roseworthy.
What recognition has Pete Schell received?
Young Gun of Wine (2008).
