Brian and Ann Croser, whose wine empire was acquired by Lion Nathan in 2001, finally regained ownership of the flagship Petaluma winery and the land that surrounds it in the Adelaide Hills last weekend. On 14 Sep the Croser family, who live on the property, were able to look out on their own land rather than that of the Australasian brewers.
As Brian Croser built a commanding position as spokesman for the Australian wine industry, he expanded the Petaluma empire, particularly ambitiously in the 1990s. When it was wrested from the Crosers, the empire comprised not just the initial...