A Winemaking Family - Croser, Bizot & Bollinger

Great wine is rarely the work of a single generation. Our October wine degustation event is about one extended family: the Crosers of Australia and the Bizots of Champagne. They joined when Brian Croser’s daughter Lucy married Xavier Bizot, whose family is woven into Champagne Bollinger. Our evening is hosted by wine expert Helen McGahan from Terroir Selections, an importer owned by Xavier and Lucy.

This story began in 1984, when Petaluma founder Brian Croser travelled to Champagne seeking a partner for his sparkling wine and teamed up with Christian Bizot, patriarch of Bollinger. Christian was responsible for making Bollinger the champagne of choice for James Bond. In 2002 they founded Tapanappa with Jean-Michel Cazes, whose family owns Château Lynch-Bages in Pauillac and remained a partner until 2014. Brian calls both men revered mentors, and both families are represented in our ten wines.

Today that knowledge is handed down. The Piccadilly Valley vineyard Christian planted now belongs to Xavier and Lucy, and Brian says his vision will increasingly rest in Xavier’s capable hands. Brian, a leader in modernising Australian wine, is an Officer of the Order of Australia and was Decanter Man of the Year in 2004. From Bollinger’s family estates come Domaine Chanson in Burgundy, with two Premier Cru on our menu, and Hubert Brochard in Sancerre.

Executive Chef Jordon Garcia’s five-course menu pairs the wines of Tapanappa and Terre à Terre with Pauillac de Lynch-Bages, from the Cazes family’s famed Pauillac estate, and the Bollinger family’s French estates, each made with deep family tradition. Do not miss the story of these great wine families. Seats are limited, so book early.