One of Macedon Ranges’ local winemakers has hung up the boots, with his equipment all up for sale.
Richard Checinski held many hats over the years, according to his daughter Susan Johnson, before taking up wine making in the Macedon Ranges later in life.
“He was the first in his family to go to university, and studied physics at RMIT,” she said.
“He did a stint at Macquarie Island with the Antarctic Division as a research assistant.
“He was then conscripted into national service for the Vietnam War.”
While he never had to serve, Ms Johnson said the disruptions to her father’s career prompted him to return to university to study a computer science course, becoming a database administrator.
“Eventually he decided it was time for a tree change,” Ms Johnson said.
“He was growing hazelnuts (in the Macedon Ranges) for a while and then went and studied wine making.”
The family planted a vineyard out in Pastoria East when Richard was about 55, and for the next 20 years, he spent his days in the vineyard working on his craft.
“He made wine from about 2001, and it’s mostly small, boutique sort of wine,” Ms Johnson said.
“He always loved science so being able to apply that into a different field was great.”
His wines, both reds and whites, were sold in local restaurants across the Macedon Ranges, winning awards and were also featured in Budburst, a local festival featuring Macedon Ranges’ best winemakers.
Ms Johnson remembers the process being a real community effort, with other local wine makers helping with equipment before Mr Checinski purchased his own.
Recently Mr Checinski and his wife Josephine retired the vineyard life, moving into a retirement village. The Pastoria East home and vineyard has been sold, and now the family is in the final stages of preparing to give the home to the new owners, by selling the equipment that helped craft the wine.
An online auction will be held on August 2, featuring the wine making equipment, as well as some bottles of his award winning wine.
Details: tinyurl.com/4b96khp4
