Fletcher, Humphreys & Co Wine Museum
Monday, 28 February - Wednesday, 9 March 2022

In the early 1950's, Jum Kingscote,the Managing Director of the family Wine and Spirit company Fletcher Humphreys started a Wine Tasting room in the company cellars, Chancery,in the Cathedral Square, Christchurch. The stonewalled cellar had a medieval effect and the impression gained was one of softness and richness. The centre piece was the main table, a large French Cognac cask head with a band edge. It seated eight, the chairs from oak casks with a staved back. The opening was on July 1st, 1953, a luncheon for selected clients, the menu, oysters on the shell, olives and other cold delicacies, served with a 1947 Chablis and a German Hoch. In 1964,Fletcher Humphreys moved to a new premise and a special cellar was built to house the now huge museum and tasting area. Jum Kingscote had gathered together artefacts and works of art in wood, glass, silver, copper, pewter and more from many parts of the world that in some way were associated with that age old pleasure of civilised drinking. In the 1960,s and 1970,s the Curator of the Christchurch Museum, Dr Duff, helped and encouraged Jum and every week he took guests around the wine museum. Jum tried to avoid anything commercial and he collected items until 1981 when he retired. Items included antique furniture, one a large carved oak table which formerly graced the British Embassy in New Delhi, three dimensional woodcuts by Frenchman, Raymond Noirot, wooden models of a a German wine cart used for taking barrels of wine to Allarge on the Rhine, a wooden model of an old German brewery wagon, a pair of Alsace carvings at vintage time. And so it goes on. Venetian Murano glass table lights with grapes, Pewter measures, copper jugs, goblets, jugs, glass decanters and a pair of leather boots with nails in the sole, used by workers to tread sherry grapes in Spain, and part of a liqueur and spirit miniature collection. In 1985 a Charitable Trust was formed for the Museum, and numerous attempts have been made to house all the Museum items, most notably some items on display at Vino Fino, Christchurch and Framlingham Wines, Blenheim. Now is the time to sell these wonderful items to those who appreciate them. The proceeds will go towards a Wine Scholarship at a University, or possible wine research, all in Jum Kingscotes name. Robert (Jum) Kingscote,1922-1991 Managing Director Fletcher Humphreys. Served in World War 11.Left NZ,July 1943. In the Divisional Cavalry,B Squadron. Fought in Italy,Sangro,Cassino,and to Florence. MID (Mentioned in Despatches),Cassino 1944. Joined Indian Army,the Gordon Highlanders fighting in Burma late 1944,in Tank squadron. Joined 4th/5th Gurka Royal Rifles in 1945 to 1947. MID again in Burma 1945. Rank at end of War,Major. Consul honaraire de France for many years. Awarded the Ordre Legion National Du MeriteFrance in 1982. Jum promoted and sold New Zealand wine from 1947 to 1981. When he retired he, with Nederburg Wines, South Africa, looked into growing Riesling grapes near Cromwell in the 1960's, well before actual plantings in the 1980's. The only stumbling block then was lack of labour. In the late 1970's, Jum and Tom McDonald,Wine maker at McWilliams, aged a McWilliams Bakano,a special Cabernet Sauvignon blend and then aged it for two more years to see the results. Up to 500 cases were eventually sold and proved good red wine from NZ could be made. Written by Bob Kingscote, the owners son. PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A TIMED ONLINE AUCTION ONLY Enquiries Anthony Gallagher PH: 04 472 1367

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