Spectrum 051. The vintage

Rights Information
Year
1973
Reference
30016
Media type
Audio
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Rights Information
Year
1973
Reference
30016
Media type
Audio
Duration
00:27:10
Credits
RNZ Collection
Nobilo, Nick, 1913-2007, Interviewee
Buck, John Kenneth, 1942-, Interviewer
Collard, Lionel Ivan Dudley (b.1921, d.2003), Interviewee
Delaney, David, Producer

Spectrum was a long-running weekly radio documentary series which captured the essence of New Zealand from 1972 to 2016. Alwyn Owen and Jack Perkins produced the series for many years, creating a valuable library of New Zealand oral history.

Wine specialist John Buck joins the vintners of Kumeu for the 1973 grape harvest.

He talks to "Minnie" and other unidentified women working on the Nobilo family vineyard picking grapes about why they like the work - even if they don't like wine!

He visits the Nobilo family at their Huapai winery and talks wine making and machinery with Nick Nobilo (Senior), who started the winery more than 20 years ago after arriving from Yugoslavia. He explains how grapes were trodden by foot traditionally back home. The Nobilo winery now employs about 15 people, including sons Mark, Steve and Nick Junior.

Nick Nobilo (Junior) explains the portable field-crushing unit they have developed which crushes the grapes in the vineyard as soon as they are picked.

Andy, the Nobilo's bird-scarer is interviewed about his job shooting birds trying to eat the grapes and demonstrates with a few shots. Gas guns also fire automatically throughout the day.

At the Collard family vineyard near Huapai, the vintage is also underway. Brian, Bruce and Lionel Collard talk about the harvest of palomino grapes.
Bruce Collard talks about the operation of the modern grape-press and other high-tech equipment in use in the winery. He also explains the importance of hygiene in the winery.

Lionel explains the next stages in the wine-making process after crushing.
He feels the 1973 vintage will be a good year.
Steve Nobilo gives his opinion on the 1973 vintage also.