Emmanuelle Bekkers knighted by the French government

Written By Campbell Mattinson
Winemaker Emmanuelle Bekkers sitting on a chair in her Bekkers winery.

Emmanuelle Bekkers, co-founder and winemaker of McLaren Vale's Bekkers Wine, has – remarkably – been appointed a Chevalier (Knight) of the Ordre National du Mérite Agricole by the French government.

The remarkable honour was conferred on July 31st by Pierre-André Imbert, Secretary-General of the Élysée Palace, in recognition of Bekkers' contribution to the reputation of French wine and to the strengthening of ties between the French and Australian wine communities.

The Ordre National du Mérite Agricole, established in 1883, recognises outstanding contributions to French agriculture and ranks among France's highest honours, second only to the Légion d'Honneur.

French-born Bekkers has lived in Australia since 1996 and works two vintages a year, one in each hemisphere. She founded Bekkers Wine in 2010 with her husband, Australian viticulturist Toby Bekkers, with the aim of creating a fine-wine emblem for McLaren Vale. She continues to make her white wines in Chablis, and her McLaren Vale wines now sit on the lists of Michelin-starred Paris restaurants.

"When I began my studies in winemaking 34 years ago, I could never have imagined that my love for wine would lead me to receive one of France's highest civilian honours," Bekkers said. "I am fortunate to be part of two great winemaking cultures and proud to serve as a bridge between them."

Campbell Mattinson

This post was written by Campbell Mattinson. Mattinson is a former chief editor of the Halliday Wine Companion book, former editor of Halliday magazine, former editor of Australian Sommelier Magazine and founder of The Winefront business. He is the author of five books on wine – four of which were bestsellers (The Wine Hunter, the Big Red Wine Book 2008, the Big Red Wine Book 2009, and the Big Red Wine Book 2010).

Mattinson is also the founder of the Mattinson Photography business.

Campbell Mattinson has been an independent journalist, wine critic and photographer for forty years. He’s the only Australian to have won the Australian Wine Communicator of the Year Award more than once. He’s a past winner of a Louis Roederer International Wine Media Award; is the author of the award-winning book The Wine Hunter; and is the author of the best-selling novel We Were Not Men. He’s also a winner of a St Kilda Film Festival Award (as writer-director) and is a former winner of the national Best Australian Sports Writing Award. In 2026 three of his photographs were short-listed for the World Food Photography Awards.

Campbell Mattinson, who is 100% independent, has tasted between 5000 and 10,000 wines each and every year for the past 25 years. He tastes blind, in comparative brackets, as often as is practicable.

Campbell Mattinson is a journalist, a photographer, a filmmaker and a wine critic. In all of these mediums his prime motive is to tell people's stories.

https://www.campbellmattinson.com
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