After hosting 224 weddings, changing hands and undergoing a serious transformation, the McLaren Vale property once known as Simon Hackett Winery is stepping into its next chapter — and this time, it has a name of its own.
Meet Tõll & Piret.
The new name is a nod to owner Tim Klaosen’s Estonian heritage, but the rebrand represents more than a fresh sign out the front. It marks the beginning of a new era for the property, which Tim and his wife Bridget have poured years of work, money and plenty of heart into.
The couple first took on the property in 2020, leasing Simon Hackett Winery with the vision of turning its unused warehouse space into a wedding venue.
Over the next five years, they hosted 224 weddings, turned the once-unused spaces into a sought-after wedding destination and, in May 2025, even got married there themselves.
But the future of the venue was thrown into uncertainty just six weeks after their wedding, when the property’s previous owner attempted to terminate their lease.
After months of uncertainty and a very stressful period for the team, Tim and Bridget ultimately bought the property outright, securing the future of the venue they had spent years building.
Now, they’re putting their own name on it.
So, what can we expect from the new and improved McLaren Vale venue?
Tõll & Piret is welcoming a new bridal room, bar, cocktail hall, bathrooms and outdoor amphitheatre and stage, with plenty more planned for the months ahead.
It’s still the same picturesque setting that made the venue so special in the first place with rolling vines, heritage stone, lawns and gardens, but the new additions are giving it a fresh identity.
The venue is also reopening its doors for tours, giving couples the chance to see what the team has been working on and start picturing their own celebrations among the vines.
And while weddings remain at the heart of Tõll & Piret, the team isn’t stopping there.
Later this year, they’ll be launching Piret’s Picnic Club, a Sunday session inspired by Tim and Bridget’s other well known annual event, Day Dance Festival.
Running every Sunday from November through to March, the Picnic Club is set to bring a different kind of energy to the McLaren Vale property.
It’s the perfect way to spend a summer afternoon at the McLaren Vale venue without a wedding invitation needed.
It feels like a natural next step for a venue that has already proved it can do celebrations rather well, so you know exactly where you’ll find us during summer, with a glass in hand and cheese platter in the other.
Tõll & Piret
Where: 41 Budgens Road, McLaren Vale
Wedding packages are now available, with Piret’s Picnic Club launching later this year.
For more updates, click here.
