Winery
Tapanappa
Tapanappa is the name that Brian Croser has given to his ongoing family-owned, fine-wine enterprise based in the Piccadilly Valley where it began more than 40 years ago as Petaluma.
After a storied history as the first and one of the finest of the Adelaide Hills wine producers, Petaluma was taken over dramatically by corporate giant Lion Nathan in 2001, although the Crosers retained ownership of their family home and their beloved Tiers Chardonnay vineyard at the foundation winery site.
The next year, determined in their vision to continue creating great Australian wines, Brian and Ann Croser established Tapanappa in partnership with long-time friends and business collaborators, Bollinger of Champagne and the Cazes family of Lynch Bages in Bordeaux’s Pauillac appellation.The French partners stayed with Tapanappa until 2014, remaining firm friends and continuing as importers in key global markets.
In 2014, after protracted negotiations with Petaluma’s corporate owners, the Croser family regained control of the PiccadillyValley winery and cellars in time to renovate it for the 2015 vintage and to move with renewed vigour into Tapanappa’s fine wine future.
Today Tapanappa has evolved into a complete family fine wine company from vineyard to market. It is managed by Brian’s daughter Lucy and husband Xavier Bizot, while another Croser son-in-law, Sam Barlow, looks after the winery. Tapanappa’s portfolio of wines is distributed in Australia by Terroir Selections, founded and operated by Xavier and Lucy.
Why Tapanappa
The name “Tapanappa” is inspired by the 550-million-year-old geological formation that underlies the Fleurieu Peninsula where the Croser family have a coastal property and their newest vineyard, Foggy Hill.
The word Tapanappa is derived from the local aboriginal language, implying “sticking to the path”. This is exactly the philosophy Brian Croser has employed in selecting his Distinguished Sites matching the climate, soil and geology of a location to the right varieties and fastidiously managing the vineyard to make unique Australian “terroir” driven wines.
