WINE LEGACY IN SAFE HANDS

The Aotearoa wine sector farewelled one of its modern pioneers recently, Joe Babich (ONZM). Joe leaves quite the legacy from his winemaking skills, responsible for more than 35 vintages and helping guide the Babich brand he joined in 1958. Some of his early days in winemaking were self-taught: “He would have wine periodicals around the house, reading and learning the how-to of winemaking from magazines,” says son, André Babich. Joe was the architect of the Irongate brand, secretly making the first wine then entering it in a competition and winning. Instrumental in taking Babich from a fortified to table winemaking company and – in more recent times – embracing the idea of organic viticulture and experimenting with new varieties such as albariño and grüner veltliner, Joe was always looking to the future. At home Joe’s hobbies were of course wine, but he also liked reading comic books, was a keen follower of Formula 1 racing, a passionate gardener – especially tomatoes – but most of all, he was a family man.