Steve Pannell is one of the most decorated and accomplished winemakers of his generation – and pushing harder than ever. In this wide-ranging conversation, Tom sits down with one of Australia’s most influential winemakers to talk about his journey from the S.C.P. side hustle to producing Australia’s first-ever 100-point Grenache and Halliday’s Shiraz of the Year.
They unpack two decades of S.C. Pannell, from building a vineyard empire in McLaren Vale to redefining what warm-climate Australian Shiraz can be. Steve opens up about the Little Branch Vineyard, the rise of Grenache, the “tension” that makes great wine, and why he doesn’t use new oak (“I don’t grow trees – I grow grapes”).
The pair also dive into Koomilya JC Vineyard Shiraz, the philosophy behind Koomilya, the Adelaide Hills Nebbiolo project, and Steve’s growing obsession with Mediterranean and Greek varieties that could shape the next era of Australian wine.
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Intro & Steve Pannell returns to DDHQ 
01:00 – The beginnings of S.C. Pannell & building the brand 
02:30 – “Our Places”: Owning vineyards & the power of site 
04:10 – The new era of McLaren Vale Grenache 
07:10 – 100 Points for the Little Branch Sunrise Grenache 
09:00 – Why pH & tannin define great Grenache 
10:45 – Twenty years of work for one vineyard: the payoff 
13:00 – Texture, tannin & the pursuit of tension 
14:30 – Little Branch as a turning point in the Pannell story 
16:00 – Koomilya Vineyard: the happy place & Shiraz reborn 
20:20 – Reclaiming warm-climate Shiraz & Australian identity 
23:00 – Halliday Shiraz of the Year & no new oak philosophy 
24:00 – Nebbiolo & the lessons from Barolo 
26:30 – Varietal tannin & the power of restraint 
28:00 – Why place matters & the future of Australian terroir 
30:20 – Oliver’s Road & the Mediterranean varietals project 
33:00 – Greek, Italian & Portuguese varieties in Australia 
35:00 – Sustainability, adaptation & changing climates 
37:10 – Mentorship, legacy & the next generation of winemakers 
38:50 – Closing reflections: wine, place & purpose 
🍷 Explore S.C. Pannell Wines: https://www.differentdrop.com/collections/s-c-pannell
💬 What’s your favourite S.C. Pannell wine? Tell us in the comments.
📩 Join our mailing list for early access to new releases & interviews.
6 Comments
What a wonderful conversation. So many great insights
A thoughtful and interesting interview. I learned a lot and felt excited by SCP vision for Australian wines. Thanks DD for opening my eyes to new wines.
Best Aussie wine content, bar none. Love these long form interviews. Learning so much.
The greatest Wine Orator as well.. Fuckin Blessed old girl
The Aussie wine industry is on the up when you have a winemaker like Steve involved in it, great chat lads, captivating!
I'd love to visit S.C. Pannell one day, great video, so far, I have only had a bottle of Old Mcdonald and a bottle of Smart Vineyard