WelCom March 2022
Brother Stuart Cuttance, formerly known as Brother John, was a pioneering winemaker at Mission Wines, bringing French winemaking techniques to an unsophisticated local industry. Winemaking was however only one chapter in his rich and varied life of service as a Marist Religious.
By Michael Fitzsimons
He was known as Brother John when I knew him around 50 years ago. He was the winemaker at the Mission, a quiet, hard-working man who I only ever saw in two uniforms – head down in prayer at the back of the chapel in his blue-bordered religious robe or making his way from the cellars in short-sleeved shirt, navy blue boiler suit and gumboots.
A man of few words, the greeting was always friendly and short: ‘Hello brother’.
When Stuart Cuttance died on the 24th of December last year, he was 95 years of age, the oldest living Marist at the time. He came from hardy stock – a pioneer family who settled in the Haast area in a very isolated south-western section of the West Coast. To this day a mountain, a creek, a ridge and two roads in the area bear the name ‘Cuttance’.
When Stuart was five, to escape the rain and the insistent sandflies and isolation, the Cuttance family moved to Southland. In time the family moved to Christchurch, where Stuart attended St Bede’s College. He showed at aptitude for sciences and went to Pharmacy School in Wellington when he left college.
With his interest in chemistry, it was not a surprise that when he entered the Society of Mary in 1954, he was appointed to the Mission where he became an understudy in the cellars to Br Basil Newman-Watt. In time, a wonderful opportunity to learn French wine-making techniques arose when the Embassy of France offered him and Br Joseph Lamb scholarships to study Oenology and Viticulture in Bordeaux.
On his return from France, with his Tomes, or ‘The Bible’, 2700 pages of the most erudite treatise on winemaking at the time, (illustrated right) he took over the wine making at the Mission Winery.
Br John’s winemaking knowledge and expertise was exceptional for that time in New Zealand, says current Mission winemaker, Paul Mooney, his understudy for a number of years.
‘He brought back French winemaking textbooks and applied modern winemaking techniques to wine production. He was very innovative. He introduced traditional French techniques such as whole bunch pressing and barrel fermentation, also carbonic maceration and submerged cap red wine fermentation. He first started experiments in 1961 to make a bottle of fermented sparkling wine. The first wine was sold as Fontanella.
‘He was a very humble, prayerful person and very regular with his religious life’
‘Both he and Br Joe worked with others in the local industry, sharing the knowledge they gained in France. He was held in great respect by winemakers of the day.’
Br Matt Morris, another understudy at Greenmeadows in the 70s, also recalls Br John’s generosity in sharing his expertise with the winemakers of Hawke’s Bay at the time.
‘But there was one exception – Fontanella – a champagne methode bottle-fermented wine. At the time most New Zealand sparkling wine was carbonated – CO2 forced into it at low temperatures as one would make soft drinks. John had learned a lot about methode champagne in France and worked with local engineers to develop the required equipment to make New Zealand’s first methode sparkling wine. It was first released in February 1963, sold for 21 shillings and sixpence a bottle. Orders were limited to two per customer.
‘When it came to Fontanella, he was loathe to share his knowledge. In his own words: ‘I had to work it out the hard way – others will just have to do the same.’
Br Matt remembers Br John as ‘a perfectionist who set very high standards. He was very thorough and could work amid chaos – sometimes created by himself! He was a hard worker and a very physically tough individual.’
Paul Mooney worked with Br John for three years from 1979 to 1982, before taking over as Mission winemaker. He was, says Paul, ‘an awesome man and mentor and friend’, and his French approach to winemaking has been carried on to the current day.
‘He oversaw the transition from a cottage industry through to a commercial venture. He was a pivotal man at a critical time for a wine company that has been in continuous operation under the same ownership for around 150 years.’
Fly-fishing was a passion of Br John’s and a favourite way of relaxing.
‘He tied all his own fishing flies’, says Br Matt, ‘and his bedroom was always littered with feathers, wool, hair and other unusual items that he used to create items designed to snare curious trout.’
When Br John left Greenmeadows in 1982, he was not to know he would have nearly 40 more years of fruitful and diverse ministry ahead of him.
From Greenmeadows, he went teaching at St Bede’s, sharing his passion for the outdoors with the boys. This was followed by a five-year stint at Chanel College in Samoa. He came back to New Zealand to Blenheim where he contributed to the Parish outreach. From there, he was appointed to Wellington and gained a SPELD certificate of competence and taught people with dyslexia, autism and other learning disabilities. He was then appointed to Wairoa for 17 years where he continued to help youth with learning difficulties and taught young people to drive so they could more easily gain employment.
His last chapter was back in Taradale where in his 90s he would visit the ‘shut-ins’ who were all younger than him.
‘He was a very humble, prayerful person and very regular with his religious life,’ recalls Br Matt. ‘He had great compassion for others – especially those less fortunate. Wine wasn’t the only passion in his life.’
Fr John Craddock sm had this to say in his eulogy at Br John’s funeral: ‘Holy Brother John of the Mission Vineyards, we loved you in life, we thank you for your Catholic Christian witness to Brotherhood. We know of your faithful, daily commitment to Christ in prayer and action for seven decades, in the chapel and in the field, in community and in communication with your loving family.’
And in conclusion: ‘May Mary, who encouraged her son to turn water into wine, be there to offer you a glass of fine, rich wine at the Banquet of Heaven. Moe mai, e Koro, Ki tou moenga roa … this day and forever and ever. Amen.’
Sources: Br Matt Morris sm, Fr John Craddock sm, Paul Mooney