Luke Jolliffe, Chief Winemaker at Stella Bella Wines, Margaret River, Western Australia (Australia)

Years In Industry:

I have spent 20 years in the Wine Industry. The first 9 years of my career in Viticulture in McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills in South Australia. The last 11 years winemaking at Stella Bella Wines in the south of Margaret River, Western Australia.

My Biggest Challenge To Wellness:

For me, there are 3 main challenges I am conscious of for my own ‘wellness’ to help me feel good physically, mentally and ensuring general health.

Living three hours from the most isolated capital city in the world, albeit in an incredibly beautiful coastal, regional town in Western Australia, you can easily get caught in your own bubble and feel the day to day wearing on you.

Clearing my head of an ever expanding to do list is a constant challenge, the workload never seems to reduce and the ‘small things’ can really catch up on you . The third battle is with the punishment on my body with many hours spent in cars, planes and being hands-on in the winery.

How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:

Ensuring I have the ability to stop, experience and enjoy the visceral pleasure of the incredible industry I am a part of by socialising, eating and enjoying delicious food and wine without overdoing it. This is the inspiration I need to continually improve professionally and feel happy.

The best way to clear my mind is either a quick swim in the ocean (in all seasons apart from Winter – I’m not psychotic!) or mountain biking in the forest around Margaret River. Both bring me the balanced mental state that I need. The smell and taste of sea along with the immediate cleansing of your mind the instant you go under water is incredible, and important. The physical exhaustion of exercise when you have no choice but to clear your mind is a great way to force myself to switch off.

Finally, massage, Osteopathy and ensuring my body is strong through body weight exercise such as chin-ups & core stability is my go-to for physical wellness. This gives back to my body to say thank you for taking the punishment, while getting me up and about and ready to go again.

You can connect with Luke through Instagram @lukej30 or through the StellaBella website