Wine and Wellness: How to Be Agents of Change
Guest contributor Carolyn Martin (née Finlayson) is a founder of Creation Wines in the Walker Bay Wine Region of the Cape Winelands, South Africa.
Wine has a beautiful way of evoking memories of sharing, loving, and caring, but, as I have learned, true wellbeing is more than a warm, fuzzy feeling. It is about embracing sustainability. And that needs to be shared with and by all stakeholders.
Born and raised in the Cape Winelands, I had the privilege of living close to the soil and the people on four wine estates. I know about the struggle and effort it takes to raise a vineyard and all the hands and hearts that go into it. I never underestimate the wonderful feeling of wellbeing when tasting the fruits of a successful vintage but nor do I underestimate the tenacity it takes to cope with weather, water shortages, fire, political interference, and viruses in the vineyard.
Wings to Our Team
A healthy team is a happy and motivated team. It would be a cliché except that here, at Creation, the point has been thoroughly proven: an intensified focus on our team members' physical and mental wellbeing has led to virtually zero absenteeism and increased productivity.
Attention to nutrition, exercise, emotional and social wellbeing all contribute to a safer, more inclusive workplace. At Creation, we work with medical doctors, naturopaths, nutritionists, psychiatrists, psychologists and occupational therapists.
There’s a lot of feel-good jargon in that last paragraphy, but it’s not just talking up a good game. After a series of team workshops conducted by Dr Lorin Boynton, Nutritionist and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavourial Sciences at the University of Washington, that included her 'five domains of health,’ Dr Boynton commented, "The workshops and focus groups that I have done with [the Creation team] have been inspiring as I have witnessed each team member strive towards improved personal health and support others with their goals. The camaraderie is evidence of their efforts to build and sustain their community. What a joy to be a small part of their wellbeing journey!"
Sustainability requires innovation but it is often minding the basics that makes all the difference. Upskilling and multiskilling have long been part of our team's experience. Safety protocols are high on our agenda, as are training opportunities, ranging from personal development programmes to internationally recognised qualifications such as WSET.
It also calls for us to interrogate wellness from every angle. On a matter as simple as transport, I would like to quote Dr Cathy van Zyl (MW): "For the worker bees, the time they spend travelling to and from work means there's no time to tai chi, for that facial or manicure or meditation. Employers, like Creation, who build 'me-time' into their employees' working days, are to be applauded. Perhaps ‘wellness’ in communities means providing a minibus to transport moms to work so that they can spend half an hour in meditation before travelling to work instead of an hour and a half catching public transport?"
Not only does Creation provide transport to and from the workplace, but we offer free access to healthcare and a balanced diet. And yes, there is time for yoga and tai chi classes, which all become the building blocks of a stable, productive, and stress-free team.
The Ripple Effect
It would be counterintuitive not to extend sustainability measures to our surrounding community, which in turn spreads valuable knowledge.
One of the challenges of the South African wine industry is how to enrich the lives of families in our agricultural communities. To me, education and food security are priorities. Creation's involvement in the Hemel-en-Aarde Pebbles Education Project of which we are a founder member, dates back to 2017. The success of the initiative relies on local and international donations, both monetary and in-kind, and the project currently supports 120 children aged 1 to 13.
In terms of food security, it is vital to encourage the community's buy-in. The Franklin Ohana Sustainability Garden in the nearby town of Hawston is an inspiring example. Envisioned as an all-inclusive, self-sustaining garden, it offers participating households the chance to grow their own food. The Creation team is involved in the development of the Pebbles Hemel-en-Aarde vegetable garden, established to provide fresh seasonal produce to the Pebbles families and other community members.
Wellness, of course, means different things to different people, which brings me to sustainable wine tourism, a buzz concept of many dimensions. Embracing the principle of ‘what grows together, goes together’ reduces our carbon footprint as well as supporting local enterprise. Clearing foreign vegetation to encourage the growth of indigenous fynbos and creating walking trails through our part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, enhance the visitors experience.
At Creation, we see our Tasting Room as a communication hub, with our team actively listening to and learning from our guests every day. This sets up a cycle of innovative and sustainable solutions. Our latest seasonal menu, developed together with Dr Julienne Fenwick (MBChB), is a case in point. Titled 'Back to Nature', it is inspired by Ayurveda and based on the belief that our health relies on our harmony and balance with the elements.
"Nature, by its very essence, heals us," says Dr Fenwick, adding that there has been a paradigm shift in the approach to wine consumption: "People are starting to explore the impact of sharing good wine with good people for the medicine it is. By mindfully connecting over the art of wine, we can optimise our wellness." Creation is hosting a series of wellness workshops for our clients on this subject, conducted by Dr Fenwick and other wellness practitioners.
On the matter of balance, I would like to conclude with words of wisdom from Pauline Vicard, Director of ARENI Global: “When it comes to wine and wellness, it is, to me, about balance. I don't like the expression ‘drink responsibly.’ I think a more appropriate term should be ‘drink respectfully’, and that includes being respectful to your own self, and not degrading your body, nor mind, with wine.”
Carolyn Martin (née Finlayson) is a founder of Creation Wines, which was among the top 10 wineries on the 2021 World’s Best Vineyards list. In 2019 Carolyn was designated a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International, honouring her for her deep sense of the needs of her community. Carolyn’s name appears on the 2021 WINWSA list of the world’s 50 most influential women in wine and spirits.
What We're Reading:
Here's what has piqued our interest this week in the world of wine and mindfulness.
Try These Simple Approaches to Re-Energize Yourself, in Harvard Business Review
We all fall into work ruts at times. Rather than trying to power through those moments, take a proactive approach to managing your energy.
A Factory in Illinois has an Innovative Approach to Employee Wellness, from NPR
A company in Arthur, Illinois allows working to decide what they need to improve their health. The approach improved productivity and netted a big pay out for all employees.
Mindfulness Hurts. That's Why It Works, by Arthur C. Brooks for The Atlantic
Facing the painful parts of life head-on is the only way to feel at home with yourself.
Once a Taboo Topic, Menopause is (Finally) Having its Wellness Moment, on Vogue.com
With 1 billion women projected to experience perimenopause by 2025, a host of new female-founded brands are launching to support them.
How Can Corporations Become Healing Forces in the World? from Mindful Leader.org
Can you imagine a world in which business makes human flourishing its first priority? Authors Michael Gelb and Taj Sisodia think so.
Meet the Community:
Here we meet some of the talented folks who make our profession so dynamic.
Mark Evans, Founder and President at Triumph Advisors (Ross, California)
Years in the Industry:
36 years in the industry not including the grunt work in vineyard and cellar I did as a teenager. My career started working for one of my idols, Jack Davies at Schramsberg, where I called on accounts directly in Northern California and managed distributors in Oregon and Nevada. After those amazing five years, I was brought on by Jess Jackson to help start the fine wine division, where I eventually managed 20 states and introduced brands like Stonestreet, La Crema and many more.
A big chunk of my career (15 years) was spent as President of Negociants, a company owned by Yalumba Wine Company in Australia that consisted of a portfolio of 25 amazing boutique wineries throughout Australia and New Zealand. I was also fortunate to lead several wine companies including Merryvale, Paul Hobbs and Robert Young before deciding to start my advisory business Triumph Advisors, where I am a CEO for hire developing strategic plans and helping implement them for wineries.
My Top Three Challenges to Wellness:
Genetics: DNA is NOT on my side, with obesity a common and dominant trait in my family, and which I’ve struggled to combat throughout my life. Associated with that is the fact I’ve got horrible cholesterol and blood pressure traits, which are purely genetic and something I must watch continually.
Alcohol: Alcoholism is another bad trait in my family and one that I’m blessed not to suffer from, but I am an enthusiast, and love to imbibe, especially in good wines. Balancing this in an industry that is focused on meetings, gatherings and events centered around wine (and sometime excessively so), is something I’ve always found challenging. So many people I know in the wine industry suffer from excessive drinking and their health suffers as a result of that, let alone their careers.
Spirituality: The desire to become more spiritual has grown as I’ve grown older. Perhaps that’s a natural part of aging, but it’s something that’s always been a part of me. The study and practice of Buddhism has always been a passion but is something that I’ve never been able to fully embrace. It’s a constant struggle for me to find the time to meditate, study about my own spirituality and practice the teaching that I’ve learned amongst the daily hustle and bustle of everyday life.
How I keep it together:
In my mid-forties, I decided to somewhat reinvent how I was living my life. I now take the following steps to become healthier in mind, body and soul:
Medications: I basically get off all the meds I was on to counter my genetic issues (Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure, etc.), which my doctor stressed I needed, or it might be life threatening. With a natural total cholesterol of over 500, he could’ve been right, if other steps weren’t taken.
Diet: I became what I call Vegan-Convenient, where I practice a vegan diet (mainly at home) and when dining out loosen it to vegetarian restrictions. It’s just a pain to be a Vegan all the time, but I like following it for health, environment and ethical reasons.
Exercise: I didn’t really know how to swim but learned from my kids coaches (very humbling!), and then could participate in my first Triathlon (Olympic) at 48 yrs old. Since then, I’ve completed four Full Ironman and thirteen 70.3 [Half-Ionman] events, and many full and half-marathons.
Meditation: I dedicate at least 15 minutes a day to reflect on the person I most want to be and what everyday actions I should pursue to accomplish my goals.
What Inspires Me:
Being around people that are mindful of themselves and others. People that are cognizant/self-aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and being open and honest about them is inspiring to me. But what inspires me the most are people that are kind, considerate and fair to others – no matter one’s professional position, status, race, gender orientation, religion or nationality. We are all here on Earth for a very short time, so we might as well take the path of empathy over indifference!
A Quote I Love: “To keep the body in good health is a duty...otherwise we shall not be able to keep the mind strong and clear.” - Buddha
Connect with Mark via email or through his website.
