As a flying winemaker with a career spanning more than five continents, 65 countries and 30 vintages, John Weeks’ motto was “Roam the world, meet interesting people, and drink their wine.”
That was, until a devastating accident nearly claimed his life.
Eleven years on, John talks to Katie Spain about the support networks and positive attitude that helped him recover, and the wine life he left behind.
“I had burns to 75 percent of my body and a five percent chance of survival,” he says.
“The burns unit in Adelaide is gold standard around the world and I was very lucky in that sense.
“When I was delivered to the hospital, six surgeons worked on me for nine hours to get to a point where they could save my life.”
John’s latest book Living Without Fingerprints is a photo biographical piece documenting years of painful recovery, trauma and identity loss.
“The title is a dual reference,” he says.
“When you go through trauma, you often lose your identity and your fingerprints are a very key aspect of that.
“After the accident I didn’t have fingerprints anymore (they burnt off) so it marked a point in time.”
Read Katie Spain’s full nine-page feature story in WBM – Australia’s Wine Business Magazine. Now available in print or digital.
Photos: Ben Macmahon.
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