David LeMire MW, Head of Sales and Marketing, Shaw + Smith and Tolpuddle Vineyard (Adelaide, Australia)

Years In Industry:

I’ve spent more than 20 years in the wine business – initially in retail and distribution, and then importing, with some education – primarily helping to run seminars for Master of Wine students. Plenty of wine show judging, a partnership in Mother Vine Wine Bar in Adelaide, and writing. Writing is hard to fit in, but it is something that gives me joy and energy,

My Biggest Challenge To Wellness: 

My strong desire to eat and drink well and the urge to do it too often. A pretty common problem I guess. What I’ve noticed lately is the impact of alcohol on my sleep, and sleep is so important. The travel also can screw up my sleep, with early and late flights, and multiple hotels. 

The Meursault addiction. I love good wine, and I never want to lose that wonder, that excitement of finding something that’s delicious and thought provoking and that connects me with the people and the place and the vintage. It’s a special kind of magic and I don’t want to lose that. Also, there’s potential for work to be a refuge, and to be a workaholic, and ignore other important aspects of life. 

In recent years I’ve become more focused on managing a team, rather than doing my own thing, and that gives me more perspective about the need to keep things in balance.  I’ve become more conscious of not just my potential to lose balance and suffer health issues and burn out, but I also see that potential for those issues in our team members. For all of us our physical and mental health and wellbeing is connected to our performance, our happiness, and our relationships with each other.

How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:  

Sleep is a big priority, especially when traveling, but all the time, really. So making sleep a priority is one aspect. The other, for me, is being conscious of the things that I know help my headspace.  And the goal, for me, is to run, read, and write in my journal on most days. Because of a schedule that is unpredictable, I can’t do all three every day, but I can do them all most days. Meditation and yoga are also part of the mix for me. But the run, read, and write work well for me, taking me away from the inbox and phone, and clearing my head. I do especially love a 20km trail run, and we are so lucky in Adelaide to have the hills on our doorstep, with beautiful trails and wildlife (only a few snakes) and mostly great weather.

You can connect with David on Instagram at @dlemiremw or at shawandsmith.com