Pende Valde

Pende Valde is, to put it mildly, an unusual business, its raison detre being the female descendants of Mary (nee Holt) and Christopher Rawson Penfold. We are told that Mrs Mary became one of Australias first founding female winemakers and the Pende Valde family matriarch. The wines come from 12ha of cabernet sauvignon, 9ha of shiraz and 1.6ha of bush-pruned grenache and 4ha of trellised chardonnay. They have not hitherto been sold (large format bottles donated to charity) but with the opening of the website the wines are generally available. -JAMES HALLIDAY