Frenchman Edmond Mazure's influence on South Australian wine from 1884 includes sparkling burgundy
Edmond Mazure (at right, and inset) and Edward Emite Bernier in the champagne cellar at Auldana Vineyards, Magill, South Australia, in 1912.
Image courtesy State Library of South Australia
French-trained winemaker Edmond Mazure was a major influence on colonial South Australian winemaking, pioneering methode champenoise champagne and sparkling burgundy – a unique Australian red wine style.
Mazure, born in 1860 at Villeneuve, Coulommiers, Seine et Marne, France, had a vigneron father and uncle. At about 18, he worked at the celebrated vineyard Clos Vougeot, before more experience at Spanish vineyards in Xeres district and in Catalonia.
In 1880, he went adventuring with Marquis de Rays’ expedition to New Ireland, northeast of present Papua New Guinea. This ended badly and Mazure was waiting in Sydney to return home when he learned that Samuel Davenport needed a vigneron at Beaumont, South Australia. He took up the position from 1884 for 18 months before running C. B. Young’s Kanmantoo vineyard.
Mazure was naturalised in 1885 and married Philomine, sister of Joseph Gelly, winemaker at Beaumont and later Chateau Tanunda. At Adelaide’s 1888 jubilee exhibition, Mazure was in charge of the cellars, classifying 1,000 Australian and European wines for the jury. Engaged by lawyer Josiah Symon to manage Auldana vineyard, he became a partner in 1899 and managing director when it became a limited company in 1903. He was appointed honorary commissioner in 1900 to enquire into the European wine industry, visiting Spain, Portugal and every French wine district. In 1909, he returned to Europe for the Franco-British Exhibition in London.
Mazure was among the first vignerons in South Australia to make champagne on a large scale (in 1896), to preserve olives and to introduce levures into wine making. In 1887-1912, at Auldana, he won 83 first prizes, 71 seconds and 12 thirds by the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society at Adelaide wine shows. For three years in a row, Auldana hock, chablis and sherry took the champion ten-guinea cup against all Australia.
A South Australian Vignerons' Association councillor, Mazure became a wine and pruning judge, started a pruning competition for boys under 18, and took out patents for ideas including the Mazure corkscrew, a corking machine and a windmill bird scarer. In 1909, Mazure bought part of Home Park and called it La Pérouse.
Between 1914 and 1921, he won 15 more first prizes and 10 seconds at Adelaide wine shows. He’d built big cellars on the corner of Government and Penfold roads by 1920, and employed Hurtle Walker whom he’d trained at Auldana. Under the Romalo label, Walker carried on the méthode champenoise as did his son Norman under the Seaview label.
Mazure had created the original St Henri claret by 1890, followed by the St George and the St Henri special. Winemaker John Wilson claimed in 1993 that Mazure created the unique style of Australian sparkling burgundy in 1895.
Retiring to Victor Harbor in the 1920s, Mazure set up a roller-skating rink, dance hall and coffee shop in his casino on the foreshore.
