With 10 days left until the annual Cape Winemakers’ Guild Auction, a cold douche has been applied to the fundament of the event by Xavier Bizot, GM of Australian winery Tapanappa (below right). Son of the late Bollinger chairman Christian Bizot and perhaps even more importantly son-in-law to Aussie wine legend Brian Croser (below left), Xavier told Drinks Business “Australia is good at talking about the winemaker, but it should talk more about the vineyards – and there are fantastic and very old vineyards.”

Sounds like the Swartland, n’est pas? Although all that ancient Paardeberg terroir has been drowned out by praise singers for Eben, Adi, Marc, Chris, and Andrea (these celebrity winemakers have such wattage, surnames are superfluous) and as is confidently predicted for upcoming Auction prices, punters will buy by name of winemaker rather than name of vineyard, varietal or even quality of wine. Heck Marc, Adi and Andrea are members of the CWG who have now given up asking Eben to join.

Xavier’s dad-in-law Brian rubbed salt into the wounds noting “winemaking is overrated as a profession and viticulture is way underrated, he said, adding that he would like to see more focus on the ‘mechanisms of terroir’ in the Australian wine industry.” Change Australia to SA and it’s as true.

Of course a Frenchman who married the boss’s daughter would argue for terroir, smoke Gitanes and wear a silly black beret like a Franschhoek familiar, but to have Brian pull down Aussie winemakers a peg or three is a turn up for the books. “Strewth!” as they’ll be saying in Roseworthy and Riebeek Kasteel.