From Source to Celebration with Graham Beck

Words by Georgie Bentley-Buckle

How Georgie Bentley-Buckle found the perfect bubble with Graham Beck, South Africa’s standout sparkling wine label celebrating creativity, conservation and community.

The picturesque South African valley of Robertson is home to Cap Classique aficionados Graham Beck. A region honoured for producing the country’s finest wines, since their 1991 maiden Cap Classique the winemakers have excelled at Méthode Champenoise to create a portfolio of world-class sparkling labels.

Known as the “valley of wine and roses,” Robertson, situated 160km from Cape Town in the Breede River Valley is one of the country’s most celebrated wine-producing regions, with desirable conditions for the craft of sparking. A term that captures the beauty of Robertson, depicting the colourful roses that were historically planted to maintain healthy vines, still today Graham Beck honours some of these centuries-old traditions from old world methods with creative new world techniques.

In pursuit of the “perfect bubble” suitable for any occasion, the talented winemakers nurture the vibrant vines from their home in the limestone landscape of Robertson’s wine valley, allowing the authentic essence of their grapes to shine whilst taking advantage of Robertson’s favourable growing conditions. This dedication to their craft has seen the label establish a versatile collection of sparkling wines for all palates to enrich moments worth celebrating. With notable fans including Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama, Graham Beck is an exceptional label for celebratory toasts, placing South Africa’s Méthode Champenoise on the world wine map. This is just one of the many reasons we chose the label for our own wedding day.

Voted the number one culinary destination on earth, the quality and variety produced in South Africa are often unmatched. The country we got engaged in, and return to each year, Graham Beck was a clear choice to toast our special day with due to the quality and versatility, but also the wider brand initiatives that place the winemakers in a league of their own. Creating vintages for rich and meaningful moments, in the months leading towards our wedding day, we had the pleasure of visiting the Graham Beck estate for an in-depth wine journey that truly navigated us from source to celebration.

With a sparkle for creativity and quality, from the production process to the cellar and tasting room, our visit illustrated each element of the Graham Beck estate. With an overarching goal to capture the unique fruit characteristics of each grape variety, in the cellar, gentle whole bunch pressing methods achieve the quality they always strive for, this includes fermentation methods using Piece Champenoise: a special French oak wine barrel. Meanwhile, the tasting room is where guests can sample the portfolio firsthand. Set to the backdrop of the surrounding valley, wine flights across the collection demonstrate the philosophy of unwavering passion and dedication to achieve sparkling wines that embody an ethos to ultimately ‘celebrate what matters.’

From seasoned sparkling wine lovers to those discovering Cap Classique for the first time, Graham Beck caters to all palates with a versatile range for every type of celebration, big or small. Four ranges provide an inclusive offering, from flavour profiles to price points. They range from the Classic Collection, The Vintage Collection, The Artisan Collection, and The Icon Collection. Each displays authentic character with exceptional individual attributes, whilst embodying the hallmarks of being crafted in the Graham Beck way.

For our wedding, we injected the signature Graham Beck South African sparkle with the Graham Beck Brut, also recognised as the “President’s Choice”. Served at both Nelson Mandela’s inauguration and Barack Obama’s presidential win, this wine which is often our go-to (also throughout life’s smaller moments) is a delightful serve that emanates light yeasty aromas, limey fresh fruit on the nose with a rich creamy complexity on the palate. The ideal bubble to cleanse the palate, stimulate the taste buds, and entice you to progress to the ‘next level’, we found it the perfect introductory drink paired with our roaming oyster shuckers from the team at Oyster Meister.

The Graham Beck ethos to ‘celebrate what matters’ extends beyond the winemaking to each corner of the brand, this includes the local community and conversation programme. Wine makers that really care, during our visit, we had the pleasure of staying overnight in the heart of the estate at Grace House: the Graham Beck guest house that was originally the private residence of Graham and Rhona Beck. With six spacious en-suite bedrooms, this beautifully appointed house features a large pool, dining room with a handsome fireplace, courtyard and smart dining room. With a team on hand to look after us, this luxurious escape immersed us into the heart of Graham Beck, encompassing wine, hospitality, conservation, and community.

Whilst residing among the Rooiberg and Langeberg Mountains, guests of Grace House can explore the vineyards and learn about seasonal harvests on their doorstep and enjoy mountain biking and hiking across the reserve. For us, late afternoon, we embarked on a guided game drive across Graham Beck’s very own nature reserve with our knowledgeable guide, Cecil. We were treated to seeing wild antelope, indigenous birds, zebra, and ostrich. As dusk swept across the reserve, Cecil treated us to a Graham Beck sundowner and popcorn pairing beside the dam as the stars began to appear overhead.

In honour of the compassionate and caring approach of the estate’s founder is the ongoing philanthropic initiatives with the local community. Supporting and educating not only those involved with the Graham Beck estate, but those across Robertson, the team demonstrate they are not only award-winning winemakers, but a cooperation that actions positive change. This can be seen with The Graham & Rhona Beck Development Trust, which supports the location community through education and skill development, sport, recreation, and healthcare.