Steve Webber

The Climb

Formal oenology at Roseworthy College gave Steve Webber a base in the structure of wine before the cellar made its own demands. That grounding carried into his first working role as cellar hand at Leo Buring / Lindemans in Barossa Valley from 1978–1989, where the job meant direct contact with the practical routines of production and the repetition that builds judgment. In 1989, he moved to De Bortoli Family Wines, Yarra Valley, Australia, and that move set the terms of the career that followed. The balance of Chief Winemaker and manager reflects the dual requirement of the work: making decisions in the wine and keeping a large estate moving with consistency over time.

Today

Longevity is part of the method in Steve Webber’s role at De Bortoli Family Wines. As Chief Winemaker and manager, he describes the length of that run without ornament: “I’ve been here for 38 years or thereabouts, so a long period of time.” The line reads plain because the work is plain in the best sense: repeated seasons, repeated vintages, and the kind of familiarity with a place that only accrues through sustained practice. Pinot Noir is the grape most closely associated with his specialty, and it suits a winemaker working by detail rather than force. The variety asks for precision, patience, and attention to nuance; it rewards decisions that stay close to site and season. In that way, Pinot Noir serves as a useful index of Steve Webber’s approach, where restraint and close reading matter more than show.

Signature

Steve’s signature wines include Riorret and Noble One. Those names are tied to his work at De Bortoli Family Wines and to the reputation built around his long service there.

In Their Words “I’ve been here for 38 years or thereabouts, so a long period of time.”

Recognition

Steve’s honors include Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year (2007) and Jimmy Watson Trophy (1997). Together, they mark recognition at different points in a long run of work, and they place his name among those whose output has been judged against the standards of the trade.