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Murray Tyrrell (1921-2000) - Vigneron, Cessnock area. Recorded 7 December 1981. Part 1/1.

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Karl Stockhausen - Manager, Lindeman's Ben Ean Vineyard, Pokolbin. Part 2/2

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SummaryKARL STOCKHAUSEN
Recorded 18 October 1983
Part 2/2

2:17
Nulkaba (place of iron stone ridge) - an Aboriginal name not derived from water.

4:47
Use of fertilizers for wine growing - "it's doubtful whether you get much benefit from it".

6:52
Duties of vineyard manager - like most organisations there are managers of various areas who need to keep their picture known to managers up the chain. Karl is in charge of the Hunter Valley specifically.

8:06
There are 3 employees in the winery at Lindeman's and several in the cellar door, 4 people at Broke. Pruning is done by casuals.

9:09
Training procedure for vine pruning

9:57
Criteria for pruning grape vines - you prune for a crop, you cut leaving a certain number of buds. Nature balances things out.

10:44
Changes in seasonal grape quality - dry seasons means the crop will be down. "It doesn't always follow that the less crop you get, the better the quality"

11:16
Thought on grape vine production capacity - irrigation alone is not enough to boost production - you must have good soil and the vines must be healthy before you can think about increasing yield. "A vine is not so much a machine but it's a thing that produces something."

12:57
Reason for cutbacks in production - "to have vines 5 ks away is travelling time for nothing" - the cellars have become more mechanised. Circumstances have changes - previously they used motor pumps because there was no electricity - there were no stainless steel tanks when Karl arrived. All the storage was in wooden casks, all the fermentation took place in concrete vats - that has been replaced by stainless steel. Fresh wood is used each year.

15:13
Wine stored in oak casks each season

17:18
Production of fortified wines is not at Lindemans in the Hunter Valley because its noted for its table wines.

17:46
Hunter Valley Distillery (Penfold's) - near Allandale.

18:22
Murray Tyrrell

18:32
Hector Trevinna - lessee

18:55
Green's distillery, operated by Jimmy Roberts - at Belbowrie.

19:40
Quality of soil, Broke vineyard - "it's generally very poor...even the old vineyards are ordinary".

20:25
Keith Tulloch - the Saxonvale estate, this area of Lindemans and its neighbour have very rich and fertile soil. "Only in this very little pocket." The only downside is there is a lot of rock which has cost them a lot to remove. The soil is heavy in iron - the rocks have oxidised to brown.

20:55
Tom Guest - a property agent.

22:49
Description of wine presses - they used a basket type press when Karl started here. One was hydraulically operated. In 1974 they overhauled the processing area.

28:50
Rebuilt to mechanise the wine processing area.

24:17
Advantages of stainless steel vats - space saving increases the vat capacity. The vats are now closed to avoid oxidation. Refrigeration is better and there is centrifuge which helps clarification of juice and wine afterwards. Bigger filters are now used. "What hasn't changed is that you still have to pump the wine from one vessel to another"

26:03
Bottling of wines occurred at Sydney - travels in tankers. Previously it was stored in hogsheads and were taken to Branxton or to Cessnock. There was a lot of labour involved. It wasn’t "being very kind to the wine sitting out in the sun on a railway train 2 or 3 days before it got to Sydney. Now within 3 hours of being pumped out of vats in the Hunter Valley it is in Sydney."

27:40
Murray Tyrrell's theory of grape quality - "it's a good gimmick". "He has the most advanced equipment in the area".

29:14
Noticeable decline in grape quality - it started in the late 60's - and there is a connection with the aluminium smelter. Retarders have been put on the stacks and Karl thinks this has made a difference. Fluorides are emitted and fall with rain - some plants are sensitive to them. Some plants are more tolerant. Vines are very sensitive. 30:51 Recalls Dept. of Pollution control - they made fortnightly tests.

31:18
Results of Department of Pollution tests - they wouldn't tell Karl what they were doing. "Nobody has ever said that there is a correlation between the increase in fluorides and the decrease in grape quality." Tyrrell has suggested that the public needs to know that since "the scrubbers" have been put in the stacks, the grape quality has improved. The Dept. of Pollution was still carrying out tests at the time of the interview - regularly - every fortnight. Karl still takes rain readings.

33:22
Audrey Wilkinson - was the official rain gauge reader for Pokolbin. There were several recording stations since Audrey stopped. Audrey replaced his father. "It needs to be read every day."

34:44
Influence of weather conditions - drought affects quality and quantity.

35:06
Recollection of 1968 bushfire - when Campbells lost their vineyard. It was a grass fire which created a lot of heat and Karl mentions a house going up by "instantaneous combustion". There's no doubt "the bush needs" bushfires for regeneration.

Tape duration: 41:46 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

SubjectLindemans winery -- HistoryBen Ean VineyardWineries -- New South Wales -- Hunter River Region -- History.Pokolbin (N.S.W)Wine industry -- Australia -- New South Wales -- PokolbinWine and wine making -- Australia -- HistoryStockhausen, Gunther Karl Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

PersonJack Delaney Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Depicts or Relates ToMurray Tyrrell (1921-2000) - Vigneron, Cessnock area. Recorded 7 December 1981. Part 1/1. Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

CreatorStockhausen, Gunther KarlDelaney, Jack, 1919-2010CollectionVoices of the Hunter Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Date Created18th October 1983Location^[1]Pokolbin, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

^[2]Nulkaba, NSW Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Identifier280B Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Job Identifier280B

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