Legacy remembered

David, who died peacefully in Christchurch in May, led Lincoln University's grape and wine programme for 16 years, influencing about 800 students, say Drs Wendy Parr and Mike Trough. "Many of these students have progressed into influential positions within New Zealand and international wine companies, a legacy that has helped our industry achieve the position it enjoys today."

In additon to the undergraduate and post-graduate diploma programmes, David mentored numerous graduate research students. "And again these are now found throughout the world leading research and teaching programmes, particularly in New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia," they add. "David was a creative, innovative, and philosophical scholar, his work standing out in a scientific field that was, at the time, largely descriptive. He took pride in his research and ventured into new fields, including work on colour stability of Pinot Noir wines, protein instability, psychological aspects of sensory perception, and early work on the production of lower alcohol wines. He had great satisfaction in seeing the adoption of his research and the success of his graduates both nationally and internationally."

David was raised on the Heatherbell Orchard near Brightwater, and gained a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Biochemistry at the University of Canterbury, then his PhD in food science and technology at Oregon State University (OSU), launching him into a love of wine research. He returned to New Zealand and joined the Department of Scientific Research (DSIR) at Mt Albert in Auckland from 1965 to 1978, before returning to OSU as Professor Food Science and Technology, contributing to the early development of the Oregon wine industry, researching the management of Pinot Noir. It was during this time that he advanced the establishment of the International Cool Climate Grape and Wine Symposium. This legacy continued today, with the next symposium to be held in Christchurch in January 2026.