The passing of Professor Sir Don Beaven, CBE, KNZM in a recent accident in Little Akaloa, near Christchurch, marks an end to a significant development era greatly impacting the many fields in which Don was involved during his life.

A tribute by Danny Schuster.

As a great physician he will be remembered as the founding professor of the Christchurch Medical School of Medicine, specialist in Diabetes, and former chairman of the Canterbury Health Board.
His compassion for his patients was legendary; their wellbeing always coming ahead of his own.
His energy, intellect, generosity of heart and ability to inspire others also extended into other fields of his life. Wine and wine education, pioneering winemakers of the South Island and local artists, all benefited greatly from his enthusiastic and informed support over the 35 or so years I had the privilege and honour to count myself amongst his friends.
An enthusiastic vine grower, Don and a small group of friends established a vineyard in the mid-to-late 1970s on a hillside near Halswell, well before winemaking became fashionable in the South Island. Don Beaven, Ivan Donaldson, Allan Cookson, Brian Hearfield, Graham Watson, Paul Straubel, Neville Acroyd and Norman Hardy were all vignerons at heart – and pioneers of local wine.
The brave winemaker of this group was Ivan Donaldson, who, at that time, crafted his wines in the coolroom at Princess Margaret Hospital and who, since the mid 1980s, has carried on to establish the foremost Canterbury winery at Pegasus Bay in Waipara.
Beaven’s, Donaldson’s, Cookson’s and Watson’s support for the early research work on local wine at Lincoln College (now Lincoln University) and for the earliest vintages at St Helena Winery were of immense value to those of us involved in the fledgling industry.
Just as valuable was Don’s decade-long involvement in teaching wine appreciation courses at Christchurch Polytechnic, giving up much of his free time to spread his message of healthy living and healthy eating, enjoyment of a moderate consumption of wine and improvements to standards of wine service.
He was an enthusiastic reader with a wide-ranging taste and authored a number of books himself. In addition to medical texts his contribution to wine literature included two major works; Wine Usage in Pre-Christian Societies, (unpublished in NZ) and Wine: care and service (Whitcoulls). Having co-written both the latter with Don in the mid-1980s, I became aware of the great energy he invested in all projects close to his heart. When writing each book his routine each day involved some 10 hours at the public hospital followed by several more with patients at Princess Margaret’s, finishing with a chapter or two of the book until well past midnight. A brief dinner at home with his family and power naps between projects completed his day.
Don shared his extensive knowledge of wine and its history with fellow members of the Christchurch Wine & Food Society, the Medical Wine Society, an intimate group, at our homes and the readership of his column in the Christchurch Star and Sunday Star-Times.
His support for the developing New Zealand wine industry led to a number of years as one of the leading wine judges at New Zealand wine competitions that set the high standards of winemaking now common here.
He had an uncanny ability and the courage to recognise wines of great potential quality, well ahead of their future fame. St Helena Pinot Noir ’82; Ata Rangi and Martinborough Vineyard pinots of the late 1980s; early Marlborough sauvignon blancs and the rieslings of Montana; Rudi Bauer’s efforts with pinot at Rippon in the early 90s, Kumeu River Chardonnay from 1987 onwards; Tim Finn’s Neudorf wines; John Buck’s early cabernets from Te Mata, and Dennis Irwin’s gewurztraminers from Gisborne, all caught Don’s attention before that of his wine industry peers. He backed his judgement with a case or two of each wine for his extensive cellar in Hackthorne Road.
Well known in Christchurch restaurants for his intense dislike of poor wine glasses and ice buckets used to overchill white table wines, Don was an excellent, enthusiastic and eclectic master in the kitchen, often taking the slow food concept to extreme. Fortunate in the support of his family, Don was always generous in sharing his vinous discoveries with friends. 
In recent years, Don focused his attention on growing olive trees and producing olive oil on his Banks Peninsula property, applying his enthusiasm and endless energy to promote yet another fledgling local industry.
Most of all, I will remember Don as one of the most complete human beings I had the fortune to know; a man of generosity of heart, passion and courage second to none.