Winemaker
Stephen Pannell
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- McLaren Vale, Australia
i. Biography
Founder and winemaker at Koomilya in McLaren Vale since 2012, Stephen Pannell has built his practice around one central question: how to make vineyard character readable in the glass. The work is rooted in place, but not in nostalgia; it depends on close attention to fruit, texture and tannin, and on a willingness to keep McLaren Vale in view across more than one label. Alongside his role as co-owner and winemaker at S.C. Pannell Wines, that focus has remained consistent: wines that taste like where they come from.
The Path
Training at Roseworthy gave Stephen Pannell the technical base for a career that quickly moved into production. His first job after graduating was at Andrew Garretts (old Seraphino), where the day-to-day work of cellar and vineyard began to shape his method. He later became head winemaker at Randall's Tinlins winery in McLaren Vale, extending that practical experience in the same region that would continue to define his work. The sequence matters less as progression than as accumulation: a regional craft built through repetition, observation and use. Since 2004, Stephen Pannell has been co-owner and winemaker at S.C. Pannell Wines, and since 2012 founder and winemaker at Koomilya. Those two roles give his work its frame. Both remain tied to McLaren Vale, and both are built around the same brief: let the vineyard stay visible after the wine is made.
The Work Today
At S.C. Pannell Wines, Stephen Pannell has been co-owner and winemaker since 2004, building wines with definition and directness. At Koomilya, where he has been founder and winemaker since 2012, that same approach continues through a second label and a separate set of wines. The through-line is clear: McLaren Vale remains the source, and the aim is to keep its character intact rather than overwrite it. The clearest read on the work is in the stated ethic behind it. Pannell has described the vine as “a magnifying glass for the landscape,” and set out the task plainly: “to produce wine that tastes like the place, we must preserve the landscape and touch it lightly.” That is a winemaking position built on restraint, but not passivity; it asks for precision in the vineyard and discipline in the cellar. He has also reduced the motivation to first principles: “For me, it was important to make wine that I loved.” The line keeps the work grounded in taste, not theory. For the reds, he adds another useful marker: “In terms of our red wines, they're quite tannin proud.” It points to wines with structure front and centre, where tannin is treated as part of the wine’s shape rather than an afterthought.
Signature
Stephen's signature wines include Koomilya DC Block Shiraz, Koomilya Shiraz, S C Pannell Shiraz/Grenache 2004 McLaren Vale, and S C Pannell Grenache Rosé 2004 McLaren Vale. Taken together, they show the range of his house style: reds with structure and presence, and a rosé that carries the same regional seriousness in a lighter register.
In Their Words “The vine is a magnifying glass for the landscape and to produce wine that tastes like the place, we must preserve the landscape and touch it lightly.” “In terms of our red wines, they're quite tannin proud.”
Acclaim
Stephen Pannell has received Jimmy Watson Trophy (1996). Stephen's honors include Winemaker of the Year.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Stephen
What is Stephen Pannell's current role?
As of 2026, Stephen Pannell is Founder and Winemaker.
Where did Stephen Pannell train or study?
Stephen Pannell trained at Roseworthy.
What recognition has Stephen Pannell received?
Winemaker of the Year (2015).
