The Third Generation

The third generation, Deen & Emeri De Bortoli's four children, are the current custodians of De Bortoli Wines and all are actively involved in the business. With Emeri they also form the family Board of Directors. Eldest son Darren is Managing Director, daughter Leanne manages the Yarra Valley arm of the business, Kevin looks after the company vineyards in the Riverina and Victor is Export Director. If Deen expanded and consolidated what his parents established, then the third generation set a whole new direction - guiding the company into the premium wine market.

The remarkable success of Noble One in the 1980s, made by new graduate winemaker Darren De Bortoli [with the support of Deen] gave the family the confidence to go to the next step. Noble One, inspired by the classic sweet white wines of Europe, has over the past two decades become one of the world's most highly awarded and sought after wines.

The next step was the purchase of its first Yarra Valley vineyard in 1987. The Yarra Valley venture which is managed by Leanne and her winemaker husband Steve Webber has been enormously successful. Highlights include receiving Australia's most prestigious wine trophy, the Jimmy Watson in 1997, Steve Webber's Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year Award in 2007 and receiving the Best Tourism Winery award at the Australian Tourism Awards in 2009.

During the 1990s the family also established their King Valley vineyards and in 2002 purchased a winery in the Hunter Valley. On the business front the familly took control of their distribution establishing offices and warehouses in the capital cities. In 1996 Victor De Bortoli established the first international sales office in the United Kingdom which was followed by offices in Europe [Antwerp] and the United States.

Notwithstanding the challenges currently facing the Australian Wine Industry, De Bortoli's future seems secure. There are 10 grandchildren of whom as Leanne De Bortoli says, “Some will want to come into the family business and some won't. We are just trying to set up a great family business that can be passed onto the next generation and how they go forward with that is up to them.”