Decanter 'Man of Year' 2004
Added : ( May 2005 )
Decanter ‘Man of Year’ 2004
Decanter magazine, the international wine monthly, today announced their 2004 Man of the Year to be Australian winemaker and industry leader, Brian Croser.
‘We have known Brian and followed his work and teachings for nearly twenty years now’, said Sarah Kemp, Publishing Director at Decanter.
‘Ever applied and energetic, Brian has championed the cause of fine winemaking around the world, but most especially in Australia at his beloved Petaluma estate.
Moreover, he has always found time to support education, work with industry bodies and with politicians. He has always encouraged others to pursue excellence in winemaking and is a great leader, businessman and winemaker. Brian is a thoroughly worthy winner of the Decanter Man of the Year Award and joins a list of wine legends that includes Emile Peynaud, Robert Mondavi, Miguel Torres, Hugh Johnson amongst others.”
Croser set up the South Australian winery Petaluma in 1976, where he was the first in Australia to commit to planting each variety in the site that best suited it. Ever a visionary, Croser had already established a Wine Science course at the Riverina College of Advanced Education whilst at Petaluma he went on to take under his wing many young winemakers - who have themselves since become leading figures in the industry; including Rollin Soles of Argyle, Martin Shaw of Shaw & Smith, Andrew Hardy of Knappstein and Dean Hewitson of Hewitson Wines.
His attention then turned to a second continent, where in 1985 Croser co-founded the Dundee Wine Company with Cal Knudsen, based in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Established to produce mainly sparkling ‘méthode champenoise’ wines, some of Oregon’s best Pinot Noirs are now produced under the Argyle label.
Back in Australia, Croser created ‘Distinguished Vineyards’; bringing together the wineries of Stonier, Mitchelton, Knappstein and Smithbrook into a group which, alongside of Petaluma, exemplified his commitment to quality and specialised sites. Although the group has since been taken over by Lion Nathan, Croser remains very much at the helm of the Petaluma vineyards, winery and brand.
In his latest venture, also announced today, Croser has linked up with Bordeaux luminary Jean-Michel Cazes, of Château Lynch-Bages, and Société Bollinger, in a new ultra-premium Australian wine company, named Tapanappa Wines Pty. Ltd.
Tapanappa has made its first wine from the 29 year-old Koppamurra Vineyard in Wrattonbully adjacent to Coonawarra, which Croser says is a “distinguished site” exhibiting the finest terroir in the area, and from which he expects to make benchmark Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blends. ‘The aim of the partnership is to employ the most fastidious viticultural methods to the best vineyard sites and produce small quantities of exquisite wine that will stand alongside of the very best on offer in global fine wine markets. The Koppamurra Vineyard is capable of doing that’, said Croser.
Only last week, Croser led the annual lecture for the WSET in London, arguing the case for the future role of Australia’s premium wine regions in the global fine wine market in a speech on ‘Brand or Authenticity’. In 2004 as Tapanappa launches itself onto the world market, and Petaluma approaches it’s 30th anniversary, Croser has the heritage, the future and the world stage on which to celebrate the triumphs of these beliefs. It should be a good 12 months for Decanter’s ‘Man of the Year’ 2004.
Ends.
Date: 05.03.04
Further information:
David Lindsay, Lindsay May PR Tel. 020 7470 8890
e-mail; david@lindsay-may.co.uk
Decanter 'Man of Year' 2004
Submitted by:
Yvonne May or David Lindsay
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