Our Vineyard
Our Philosophy
Small scale, high-density viticulture
De la Bêche is a very small, high density vineyard located in the northern part of the Macedon wine region, southwest of the Taradale township.
Taradale’s history stretches from the gold rush days back to its geological origins - the Ordovician period (485 million year ago) when it was an ancient seabed, rich in marine life.
The artwork - Duria Antiquior, by Henry De la Bêche, connects our interest in the origins of the land with our grape growing and winemaking.
We are the third and fourth generation growers focused on high-density grape growing (15,000 vines per Hectare). This includes Aligoté, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir - varieties inspired by Burgundy and suited to Taradale’s continental climate and elevation.
De la Bêche translates to ‘of the spade’ which symbolises the importance of soil to our wines. The parent material is mudstone, sandstone, ironstone, and quartz, all of which contribute to our wines’ character.
Creating an environment for distinctive wines
De la Bêche’s close planted vines have to compete for water and nutrients, which reduces the yield per vine and produces smaller berries and bunch size, concentrating flavours and tannins. This leads to more complex wines, especially for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
High density planting creates a unique microclimate in the vineyard which provides shade for the canopy, berries and vineyard floor, reducing heat stress in summer.
De la Bêche wine is made using (non-certified) organic principles. Wine making is kept simple using natural yeast for primary and Malo-lactic fermentation. All wines are aged in 228 L barrels and bottled 11 months after harvest, with a light filtration.
Our aim is to produce wines which achieve the best possible expression of our soil, climate and grape-growing practices at Taradale. We are excited to bring you our first releases from De la Bêche.
Tim Brown
Founder
Tim started his viticulture career in 1990 at the renowned cool-climate vineyard, Virgin Hills, in the Macedon Ranges. Over the next three decades, he refined his expertise working with other producers in the Macedon Ranges, and in other prominent cool-climate regions such as Canberra, Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and New Zealand. He also completed two vintages (2024 and 2025) in Burgundy.
After taking over from his father David in 2020, Tim and his family have been transforming their small vineyard, with a vision to craft exceptional wines from the Taradale soils.
