Since ancient times, wine has been acknowledged for its curative properties. In the Mesopotamian culture, wine-based medicines appeared in the Sumerian Pharmacopoeia – aka the oldest medical prescriptions (2200 to 2100 BCE). If the Egyptians mixed wine with herbs to create medicinal remedies, the Ancient Greeks used it as a wound dressing: Hippocrates (widely known as the “father of medicine”) recognised how its ethanol content makes wine a natural antiseptic.

Interest in the therapeutic potential of wine has continued throughout history, with modern doctors and physicians establishing their practices along with vineyards. One of the most successful examples is Penfolds – the Australian winemaking brand founded in 1844 by the British physician Christopher Penfold and his wife, Mary. The couple, moved by a visionary spirit, established a vineyard in an attempt to combat bad health. Red wine, especially, has a reputation for being good for heart health.

Since its origins, Penfolds has combined old-world tradition with a new-world pioneering spirit. It was after a trip to Bordeaux in the ’50s that Max Schubert – the first Penfolds chief winemaker – attempted to make a long-lived wine by importing renowned French know-how. Penfolds Grange – a multi-regional shiraz blend – was born from merging the properties of Australian terroirs and European ageing techniques. It is still the most celebrated wine nationally, made only with fully ripe, intensely flavoured shiraz grapes, which offer bold notes and a distinctive complexity.

Today, remaining true to its innovative ethos, Penfolds continue to push the boundaries of viticulture with a new journey in France. For the first time in history, its new 2022 collection – launched last September – contains two French vintages: Penfolds II, a partnership with Dourthe Bordeaux, and 2019 Penfolds FWT 585, a trial Bin wine, made of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot.

‘This is the start of our French winemaking journey,’ says Peter Gago, Penfolds’ chief winemaker since 2002. ‘Our main objective? To remain true to the winemaking ethos of both wineries, to deliver the best blend possible, to ideally make Bordeaux and South Australia proud.

‘This wine is not about bigness or boldness or assertion. It is blended to convey an ethereal lightness, subtlety on the palate – sensitively binding two hemispheres, Old World and New,’ Gago adds.

Along with the traditional Australian staples – Grange 2018 and Yattarna Chardonnay being two absolute highlights – the annual release also comprises wines from Napa California. Try the Bin 149 Cabernet Sauvignon for a perfect northern/southern hemisphere blend, underlining how the essence of Penfold House Style lies in selecting the best cuvée regardless of their country of origin.

Aligning with the cosmopolitan DNA of the house, Penfolds partnered with Italo-Argentinian chef Mauro Colagreco to showcase the new release at Mirazur, his Michelin-starred oasis in Menton – at the point where Italy and France merge, surrounded by lush gardens and a breathtaking view of the Côte d’Azur. There’s no better place to celebrate what Penfolds is all about: hybridisation and transformation.

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