Toby Bekkers
Rise to the top
When viticulturist Toby Bekkers launched his wine label with his winemaker wife, Emmanuelle, he set out to make a McLaren Vale wine to rival the best in the world.
For Toby, making world-class wines doesn’t mean emulating anyone else’s success. In South Australia’s progressive wine region of McLaren Vale, famous for its scenic coastline and ancient soils, Toby and Emmanuelle craft authentic, focused wines that are small in scale, proudly Australian and on their way to reaching the pinnacle of the fine wine world.
Regional reflection
McLaren Vale means a lot to Toby Bekkers. It’s where he met his winemaker wife, Emmanuelle, in one of the region’s oldest wineries more than 20 years ago. Today it’s where they live with their family and make their living growing grapes and crafting premium wines.
“We’ve been in this region for a long time, and I worked out very quickly that it was a great place to grow grapes,” says Toby. “The beautiful thing about McLaren Vale is its diversity. There’s the coast, there’s elevation, there’s aspect, there’s slope… All those things add up to this big artist palette of a landscape. We know we’ll get different wine textures and flavours and aromas from different parts of the valley.”
McLaren Vale is a hidden gem according to Toby Bekkers with beautiful beaches, rolling hills and wonderful people.
Toby grew up in McLaren Vale, and after graduating with an honours degree in Agriculture, he worked for numerous South Australian wineries and vineyards. His French-born wife, Emmanuelle, is an experienced winemaker with degrees in Biochemistry and Oenology, and in 2010, the pair established their label, Bekkers. From the beginning they’ve focused on making high-end wines.
Toby and Emmanuelle take inspiration from their frequent travels to Europe. But their wines are all about showcasing McLaren Vale.
“We’re very clear that we want to make a McLaren Vale wine,” says Toby. “We’re not here to try and emulate anyone else.”
They grow only two varieties – Grenache and Shiraz – which, for Toby, are the region’s heroes. In the winery, Emmanuelle produces small volumes of three wine styles: Grenache, Syrah (Shiraz) and a Syrah Grenache blend.
“We’re not trying to take over the world in terms of volume; we want to be able to touch every barrel and keep a very clear eye on everything we do,” says Toby. “The great wines of the world are made with absolute attention to detail and focus, and certainly passion, and if you don’t have that, I think the wines don’t have a soul, really.”
“We’re not trying to take over the world in terms of volume; we want to be able to touch every barrel and keep a very clear eye on everything we do.” – Toby Bekkers
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