Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
If it grows on a tree, vine or bush and is edible, chances are David Young has made wine from it or is willing to give it a go.
The 'almost' 80-year-old from Drury Hills near Auckland estimates he's made more than 30,000 bottles of wine and Drury Hills Wines stocks no less than 100 varieties.
There's wine from David's Damson plums, feijoas, and limes, and from passionfruit, cherries, blueberries, blackcurrants, apricots and dragon fruit.
He's also produced wine from loquats and rhubarb grown on his lifestyle block and fruit ports, liqueurs, creams and mead.
"I'm always looking for something interesting," he says.
Not far away, in Waiuku, long red capsicums called King Sweeties are grown by David's son's friend.
"I said, 'Can you see if you can get me some of his capsicum? They can be bent.' He throws all the bent ones away you see, they can't sell them. So he sent me out two boxes.
"He says 'This guy's nuts. He can't make wine out of that'."
So David made the wine and sent him a case.
A vegetable consultant from the Netherlands happened to be visiting the grower and was astounded to be offered a glass of wine made from capsicums.
"'God' he says, 'that's good.' He came over here and bought a dozen, just like that!"
David Young's orchard Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
