Berri Tales from Noel Burge (cont')

Syd Wells wrote a book about Mildura "From ? to Cornucopia". Mono pump outside No.1 cellar to impress visitors! Table wine casks in Freestore were fitted with Co2 supply. Eric Dellbridge worked in Freestore.

Alec Kelly had a radio station at Lyndoch.

Alan Hooper was at Emu in 1936

Catholic Altar Wine

A Mr. Cosgrove, a representative of the Church came to Berri to set the wine standards. Garnett would have none of it saying we will have this level of sugar, alcohol and sulphur dioxide.

Frank E Wilson, 1929-1938

"Pop" Wiltshire, had retired as Engineer in Charge at the "Old" Berri Pumping Station. Used to visit the Winery every Wednesday to check the generating plant. This was before the State Electricity Grid was implemented. Would always call into the Laboratory and without reference to Noel, would go the end cupboard and have a nip of the Berri brandy in the bottle with a "Hennessey" label. Noel recalls that Lyle Nairn and he were the first Manager and Winemaker that left of their own accord.

Remembered Harold Harris being an Excise Officer.

Remembered Sibley was an Excise Officer.

Remembered Chris Madson was Excise Officer in charge.

Remembered Ray Cook was an Excise Officer.

When noel left in 1950 Harry Bennett was in charge and Noel recalled Harry's father had a Blacksmith's foundry on the south east corner of the Lyndoch hub. Warrie and Charlie Schultz had drinking bouts and after one episode Charlie turned up with a shaved head and skull coloured blue.

Garnett was sacked in 1947 along with Charlie Schultz who must have been employed right through the 1930's. Noel and his wife move into Battams Road and were there until they left in July 1950. See above comments re Battams Road.

Alec Kelly was Plant Manager as far as Noel could see.

Cannot remember Charlie Schaeffer as Workshop Foreman.

Noel believed the Garnett's would have lived at the Barmera Hotel while the new residence on the ridge was built. Could not imagine them moving into the house on the "Filling Floor".

Remembers Frank Penfold-Hyland was in Sydney and Leslie Penfold-Hyland was Adelaide Manager for the Company.

Noel and Mrs. Burge picked Sultanas for Harry Martin at Gurra.

Could not remember Scotty Ireland but thought there was an older person named Ireland. I to check with Mick Ireland!!!

Thought it was Hans "The German" polished the Sykes hydrometers.

Spoke of Evelyn Turnbull who married John Cogan. A very capable lady.

Wendy Oliver was Secretary for Lyle Nairn and also typed the Excise forms. Very efficient and a reserved girl.

Remembered Eeanne Hatch.

Lyle Nairn was an Army veteran of WW1

Great rivalry between Lyle and Alec.

Noel had been promised a trip to California and had been subject to Noel staying with the company for 5 years after the trip. When Noel's father asked him to return he had to forego this and knew Alec made the trip in 1951. Noel remembers Alec down a trench at Loxton after the 1950 vintage. Alec was installing pipe work I assume for the water service to the site. Sue recalls that Alec and Bill Lucas were designing the Loxton Winery in 1949 at nights at their home.

Karl Weidenhofer told Warrie Garnett about Noel and Garnett wrote to Noel with the job offer.1932 Muscat, Tank 538 was a high Be° 34% proof spirit wine and was quite sound. Garnett kept as a record. Balance of wines were diseased. See notes about Leo Buring inspecting the complete stock of wines. Most of the 1933 were diseased and had to be distilled. After this Garnett supervised the addition of 50 ounces SO2 to every fresh tank of wine.

Herbert Kay was Chairman of the Australian Wine Board and was instrumental in starting the A.W.R.I.

1950 Shiraz would have been stored in Block 3 after filtration and a layer of paraffin oil applied for a seal.

Garnett went to England and price for fortified sweet white was 2s 91/2 pence per gallon. Wine had to be 34% to receive the Bounty.

A shareholder saw his neighbour adding water to his load of grapes. Phoned the Winery and Garnett had a police officer come out to the plant. When the grower arrived Garnett called Noel down to the crusher and test the juice. It tested a very low Be°. I am unsure whether or not the grower was prosecuted.

Noel recalls he was awarded a scholarship to enter Roseworthy.

Jack Hatch and Fred Cocks were the only two Board members that would have a chat with Noel.

Talked about concrete tanks having joins and subsequent leaks.

Garnett had Noel spot check spent marc and still liquor for presence of sugar at Tarac's premises. Said he should use the 'Bendix" solution which eventually Noel established that it was "Benedict's Solution.

Noel used Fehling's "A & B" to perform the check.

Marnique recipe changed to use orange oil instead of whole oranges with 8 cloves stuck in each orange.

Mrs. Burge and Bessie Weidenhofer are sisters.

Karl was caught coming home and was just turning over the railway when stopped by police. Was drunk, convicted and placed in jail for 28 days.

Noel commented on the Tarac operation

Prior to 1938 the drained solids called marc had been removed from the cellar by shoveling the marc from the tanks into carts which were wheeled down the passage-ways to the presses. At some later date conveyor belts were installed between the tanks and the marc was shoveled from the tanks onto a continuous belt and delivered to presses. From memory it was a pretty messy business with piles of marc under the belt support structure and many bruised heads and shoulders. Prior to 1938 this marc was then discarded. With this contract the pressed marc was then conveyed to the Tarac premises by Tarac trailer bins which delivered the pressed marc to their receival hopper and side tipped using a hand winch. The agreement required Tarac Pty Ltd to receive marc from Berri, complete the fermentation and the excess clear liquor would be distilled via a continuous still and the fermented marc was processed through a horizontal still, both to produce "low wines" to be returned to the winery for the production of fortifying spirit. Spent stalks were also conveyed from the winery to Tarac's premises to recover sugar and potassium bi-tartrate. I will need to research the various methods over the years until 1951. 1939 Vintage Crush 8519 tons.

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