Babich Josip Petrov 1929 1983 Northland Nz

edmondsallan - Hello -The Delmatians played a big part in opening up Northland . The way they worked !!! was hard and long hours . Many families in the north are related to these people who came from far away , to survive , to live , to rear their children and become dinkum " kiwis " By the late 1930s most of Babich's income was derived from wine-making. Along with a five-acre orchard, he owned seven acres of Meunier, Black Hamburgh, Baco, Seibel and Albany Surprise vines. Each year about 3,000 gallons of wine were sold directly from the winery or delivered to customers throughout Auckland.

A Catholic, with a reputation for honesty and an even temper, Babich was heavily involved in community affairs, and from the 1930s to the 1950s was frequently on the committee of the Viticultural Association of New Zealand. He read widely and was a keen gardener, bee-keeper and amateur photographer.

By the 1950s Babich Dry White, Dry Red, Palomino Sherry and other wines enjoyed a small but growing clientele. Although he remained active in the company, during the 1950s Josip passed responsibility for its day-to-day running to his two sons. When the wine boom gathered momentum in the 1960s, the family seized the opportunity, investing in a major expansion of the winery. The 1970s brought the emergence of Babich as a nationally distributed producer of quality, award-winning table wines, the 1980s saw the development of several export markets, and in the 1990s there was heavy investment in premium Hawke's Bay vineyards.

One of the grand old men of New Zealand wine, Josip Babich died at Henderson on 22 August 1983. He was survived by his wife, Mara, who died in 1994, and his children, three of whom were involved in the family winery. During a period when New Zealand wines were not highly regarded, Josip Babich early won a reputation for his well-priced, consistently sound wines. After several decades of steady, controlled growth, the company he founded is still family-owned and operated, and ranks among New Zealand's leading wine producers. Like you , I have friends among their community . Till we meet again - Regards - edmondsallan