[As published in September/October BayBuzz magazine.]
When Richard Brimer had just finished his photography apprenticeship back in 1982 he found his way into a cellar job at Vidal in Hastings. This is where he met life-long friends, and began his life-long love affair with the Hawke’s Bay wine industry.
To chat with Richard is to realise he’s worked with everyone. The big players, the boutique growers, out on the vineyards and inside in the barrel halls. He’s got hundreds of stories (some of them pretty colourful – it’s just as well he’s got such a kind heart!) and he’s captured every element of the multi-faceted business of wine.
Now he’s staging an exhibition of his photographs, spanning the 40 vintages he’s worked, shot, and delighted in. And that’s how the collection of photographs feels, like a conversation with Richard, and in turn a conversation with our wine sector. Expect to taste sweet and layered memories in a complex and balanced blend that brings together the often wry, dry characters of our wine world.
The exhibition at Arts Inc. Heretaunga in Russell Street, Hastings opens on October 12 and will be supported by a series of live music and wine events. Find all the details at artsinc.co.nz