Barossa winemaker Stuart Bourne from Soul Growers isn’t one to shy away from difficult conversations.
“Two generations before us, nobody spoke about mental health – it was under the carpet,” he tells Katie Spain for the cover story in WBM – Australia’s Wine Business Magazine.
“One generation before us, maybe the odd person spoke about it.
“Now it’s more common, and that shift wasn’t driven by our generation – it’s been driven by younger generations who are more accepting and aware.
“The stigma has really diminished, and that’s a good thing.”
That doesn’t mean young people have nothing to worry about, says Stuart.
“Quite the opposite. What do they have to look forward to?” he says.
“How do you keep them positive?
“For younger people to be positive, they need positivity, and that can come from anywhere.
“In this workspace, running through a succession plan of where we came from and where we’re going, the thing I can contribute is my own positivity.
“The wine industry is under pressure from all angles; supply, economics, markets, demand, perception, health.
“If you let that get on top of you, you run out of positivity, and so does the next generation.
“Positivity is infectious; if you’re not giving some, how are they going to catch it?
“The other thing we can do is reward and encourage positivity when we see it.
“Recognise it, acknowledge it.
“It’s not about financial rewards – humans respond to human cues, and one of the best is simply, ‘good job, well done’.
“Positive affirmation brings more positivity.”
See the full interview with Stuart Bourne by Katie Spain in WBM – Australia’s Wine Business Magazine.
WBM has been the publication for the Australian wine industry since 2005.
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Photos: Ben Macmahon.
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