Josef Chromy will be celebrating the end of 2020 and his 90th birthday in style, with a Kate Ceberano concert.
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December 18 marks the special birthday for the developer. A series of events planned for November and December will culminate in a public celebration of food, wine and music at Josef Chromy Wines on December 20.
With the recent border announcements, star signer Kate Ceberano and French chef Guillaume Brahimi should be able to enter the state to delight birthday guests.
Brahimi will prepare a six-course degustation lunch to be paired with Josef Chromy sparkling. Lunch will be followed by an outdoor concert featuring Kate Ceberano and her band, supported by Tasmanian artists.
Tickets for the lunch and concert or just the concert are available on the Josef Chromy website. These tickets are limited due to COVID restrictions. All profits will be donated to The Examiner's Empty Stocking Appeal Charity.
Mr Chromy has a well-documented history, with 2020 also marking the 70th anniversary of his escape to freedom from the occupied Czechoslovakia in 1950.
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He arrived in Tasmania at the age of 20 and started work in a sheeting factory in Railton. Then, he took a second job at the Heinz factory before going to work for a butcher in Penguin.
"It was here that I met my beautiful Alida, a Dutch girl," Mr Chromy said.
"I couldn't speak Dutch and she didn't speak Czech, but we fell in love and learnt English together."
They married in 1954 and Chromy opened Continental Butchers in Burnie three years later. The butcher was later renamed Blue Ribbon Meat Products. In 1993 the float from the company in the stock exchange allowed Chromy to invest proceeds into the state's fledgeling wine industry.
Chromy established a new vineyard from scratch at Kayena in 1994 and built a new winery in 1998, soon to become the well known Tamar Ridge. After selling in 2003, Chromy purchased a vineyard at Relbia and branded Josef Chromy Wines.
Chromy has also made redevelopments and property developments at several significant sites over the years.
Chromy suffered a stroke in 2005 that majorly impacted his speech, spelling and handwriting but he has, over time, seen a significant recovery. Both his wife and only child are deceased.