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Remembering Bro. Korte FOW Founder
Friends of the Winemakers owes its existence to Brother Norbert J. (Biz) Korte, who died earlier this year at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center, Los Gatos. As a lifelong lover of wines and a fan of our local Santa Clara Valley and Santa Cruz Mountain wineries, Biz founded the Friends of the Winemakers in 1975, with a vision of preserving the art and history of winemaking in the Santa Clara Valley. In the early days of FOW, Biz's strong leadership and hard work led to our receiving official nonprofit status as a California 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization in 1976.
Biz was born December 23, 1929 in San Francisco and raised in Oakland. He graduated from St. Ignatius High School (Class of 1948) and attended Santa Clara University from 1948 to 1951. He began his service as a Jesuit brother at Sacred Heart Novitiate, Los Gatos, in August 1951.
In 1969, Biz began working for Novitiate Winery, originally a producer of sacramental wines with close ties to the Sacred Heart Novitiate. In fact, each autumn from the 1888 to 1986, the novices of the California Province worked the Los Gatos vineyards surrounding the novitiate, harvesting grapes for the winery. At one time, they picked enough fruit to produce 150,000 gallons of wine each year. Although some wine was sold commercially, the majority of it, especially during Prohibition, was sold as altar wine. Yet in spite of the winery's rich history and winemaking experience, as California's commercial wine market grew, ever-increasing competitive pressure led to Novitiate's decision to close its doors in 1986.
During his years with Novitiate, Biz became the public face of the winery, promoting wine tastings and other events with his characteristic enthusiasm. When the winery closed in 1986, Biz was on hand, liquidating the inventory and locking the doors for the last time. After the demise of the winery, he did various in-house jobs at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center. However, because of failing health, he spent his last few years as a resident of the Sacred Heart infirmary.
Biz was a big man physically. He was gregarious and friendly, a man of great emotions and of high ideals. He was not afraid to express his opinion and you always knew where he stood on any given subject. He was active in the Lion's Club and the Chamber of Commerce. As a Lion, Biz acted as the group's chaplain and worked closely in support of the San Jose Blind Center and its teaching activities. For almost two decades, he played Santa Claus at the Los Gatos Christmas Parade.
On the occasion of his Golden Jubilee as a Jesuit, Biz reflected, "my life has been full of God's graces; I have much to be grateful for . . . from caring for the aged, typing invoices, knocking on the doors of countless parishes selling altar wine, to balancing the books of the community." All this was done with a generous heart.
To view Brother Korte's pictures, please click here
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