Chapel Hill was founded by Professor Thomas Nelson who began planting vineyards in MacLaren Vale, about 24 miles south of Adelaide City in 1972, and his first vintage was in 1975. The winery was built on the site of the old Seaview Chapel and school house – hence the name. The old ironstone chapel, built in 1865 still stands today, and is an integral feature in their tasting room. Their stained glass window logo featured on their bottles is said to have been made in Glasgow in 1770, and was purchased by Nelson from an Adelaide chapel that was destined for demolition. The winery first made its name in the 1980's when it was owned by the Sellick and Gerrard families. They employed renowned pioneering winemaker Pam Dunsford, who in 1983 was the first female graduate of the esteemed winemaking course at Roseworthy, and many acclaims and awards followed. In 2019 Chapel Hill was acquired by the Endeavour Group, the leading drinks and hospitality business in Australia, and Chapel Hill features proudly in their Paragon Wine Estates premium portfolio which showcases brands with provenance and history. Chapel Hill were one of the first wineries in the region to embrace sustainable wine-growing. The grapes from their own vineyards are complemented by “like-minded” growers, selecting small unique blocks which have a sense of place. The McLaren Vale climate is Mediterranean and the diverse soils and microclimates provide unique winemaking opportunities, and a broad range of wines are produced. The focus is on vineyard-driven wines with purity and balance which display all the pure varietal and vineyard characteristics of McLaren Vale.