Yesterday though the adjectives in the wine world were being heaped on a visionary of the industry rather than a varietal.

Colin Campbell, the Rutherglen vigneron behind Bobbie Burns Shiraz and supporter of sherry being renamed apera, was being mourned after dying, aged 73, on Friday.

Those at Australian Grape and Wine, the former Winemakers' Federation of Australia, lionised their past board member.

Chairman Sandy Clark named Mr Campbell a "true champion" of the industry.

"Col's passionate commitment, his enquiring mind, and his ability to engage with everyone, including parliamentarians in Canberra, a task he enjoyed immensely, were invaluable qualities that made him so special," Mr Clark said.

Australian Grape and Wine chief executive Tony Battaglene was just as laudatory.

"Colin Campbell was the recipient of many honours including an Order of Australia and a life member of the Australian Wine Industry but nothing in his long career was more important to him then his beloved Rutherglen Muscat," Mr Battaglene said.

"His leadership through the Muscat of Rutherglen Network, and the relaunch strategy for Australian fortified wines was vital in revitalising this important sector of the Australian wine industry, and at the same time demonstrating to the world the depth of commitment and history of the Australian wine industry."

In 2013, the impact of Mr Campbell's shepherding through of the name switch of sherry to apera saw the new fortified wine moniker emerging as a finalist in the Macquarie dictionary word of the year.

It lost to "first word problem", but Mr Campbell took positives from it, telling The Border Mail "we got a lot of good press out of it and a lot of people voted".

Such an attitude typified Mr Campbell's approach to the wine sector and Rutherglen particularly; he believed passionately in its worth, despite challenges.

We clink our apera glasses to you Mr Campbell.