Champagne moment for local winemaker
Etienne Bizot, the great-nephew of Lily Bollinger and the sixth generation of the family to be involved in Champagne Bollinger, has joined Tapanappa Wines as a director.
Mr Bizot, who lives in Paris, is the managing director of Bollinger, which has a pedigree going back to 1829. The champagne house was awarded its first Royal Warrant of Appointment by Queen Victoria in 1884, making it the first official champagne of the British Empire.
There is also a strong connection between Bollinger and Australia. Bollinger was an early investor in Petaluma before Mr Croser sold to Lion Nathan in 2001. The champagne house later reunited with the winemaker in 2002 when he created Tapanappa.
Bollinger is a shareholder in Tapanappa, together with the Cazes family of the 150-year-old Chateau Lynch Bages. The present boss, Jean-Charles Cazes, is a director of Tapanappa.
It's not just business for Mr Croser, a 40-year industry veteran, but also family. His daughter is married to Xavier Bizot, the general manager of Tapanappa and son of former Bollinger chairman, the late Christian Bizot.
Tapanappa makes its wines from vineyards based around the Adelaide Hills in South Australia.
Mr Croser has been a vocal critic of the domination of the Australian liquor retail market by Woolworths and Coles, saying he would resist selling wines from his Tapanappa label to the chains, preferring to sell only to independent retailers. He is also a strong champion of the Australian wine industry and has a reputation for speaking his mind when it comes to government meddling.
Last year he demanded the government keep out of the way of winemakers: "Keep out of it, don't do a carbon tax or mining tax on the wine industry. Stand out of the way - keep business certainty."
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Etienne Bizot, the great‑nephew of Lily Bollinger and the sixth generation involved in Champagne Bollinger, has joined Tapanappa Wines as a director. He is also the managing director of Bollinger and lives in Paris.
Bollinger is a shareholder in privately owned Tapanappa Wines. The champagne house was an early investor in Brian Croser’s Petaluma, reunited with Croser when he created Tapanappa in 2002, and now has directorship representation through Etienne Bizot.
Tapanappa was created by Australian winemaker Brian Croser, a 40‑year industry veteran who originally founded Petaluma. Croser sold Petaluma to Lion Nathan in 2001 and established Tapanappa in 2002.
Tapanappa makes its wines from vineyards based around the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, according to the article.
The Cazes family of Chateau Lynch Bages are shareholders in Tapanappa, and Jean‑Charles Cazes serves as a director. The article also notes family ties through Xavier Bizot, the general manager of Tapanappa and son of the late Bollinger chairman, who is married to Brian Croser’s daughter.
No. The article describes Tapanappa Wines as privately owned, so it is not a publicly traded company.
Brian Croser has been a vocal critic of the dominance of Woolworths and Coles in the Australian liquor retail market and says he would resist selling Tapanappa wines to those chains, preferring to sell only to independent retailers. That stance shapes Tapanappa’s distribution strategy and positioning in the market.
The article highlights Bollinger’s long pedigree—dating back to 1829 and awarded a Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria in 1884—to emphasize the champagne house’s prestige. For everyday investors, Bollinger’s involvement and board representation links Tapanappa to an established international wine name, which can be relevant when assessing brand reputation and strategic partnerships described in the article.
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