Besides developing 108 acres of some of the region’s best vineyards, ‘Parky’ has been the architect behind the evolution of Penny's Hill, while also exploring the world's fastest race tracks.
Tony Parkinson has travelled many tracks - including fast race tracks. Escaping the city in 1988, Parky brought his young family to McLaren Vale where Penny’s Hill Vineyard was established with the help of industry mogul David Paxton.
Parky used his extensvie advertising experience to develop the “red dot” packaging unique to Penny's Hill (meaning “sold” in art galleries).
In 1998, ‘Ingleburne Farm’ homestead was purchased and restored to include an all-new cellar, gallery and restaurant complex. This was built to blend with the rustic surrounds and emerged as Penny’s Hill & Mr. Riggs Cellars and The Kitchen Door restaurant.
Parky's passion is not just focused on wines - he loves old racing cars and took his rare Austin Healey 100S racer to Italy in 2007 for the famous Mille Miglia. He's raced att Bathurst, fired up the Lobethal Grand Carnival and even owns the world’s oldest 4-wheel racing Morgan.