interview
John at the Rieslingfreak cellar door in Tanunda .
It ’ s been nearly seven years since John Hughes won the hearts of the nation on MasterChef Series 3 , when he declined to serve up a dish to the judges in the show ’ s ‘ pressure test ’.
“ Having cerebral palsy , time was my issue on MasterChef ,” said John , who runs his own winery called Rieslingfreak in the Barossa Valley .
“ If I ’ d had the opportunity to redo that challenge , I would have focussed on one or two dishes . I would not have worried about plating up all three desserts . I can do anything anyone else can do , but at my own pace .”
John impressed the show ’ s judges with his cooking ability , and was eliminated just outside the top 24 . But it ’ s that factor of time which he has highlighted as being the key to success for people with disabilities in his work as an ambassador and motivational speaker in the years since .
“ Time to me equals success ,” said John , 43 , of Tanunda .
“ This is one of my main messages to people with disabilities and their families , and to employers .
“ I keep telling employers that people with disabilities have a lot to give . You just have to provide them with time , and you end up with the best employee you could ask for .
“ It ’ s the same with kids . I ’ ve done cooking workshops with children with disabilities , where the first day is making sandwiches . It ’ s surprising the number of children who haven ’ t made a sandwich before ! Mum and Dad do it for them because it ’ s quicker and easier . I fully understand that it ’ s quicker for parents to do things for their children , but the kids need to be allowed the time to learn for themselves at their own pace and gain independence in doing so .”
John ’ s work with children – mostly through Novita Children ’ s Services based in Adelaide – has been all about inspiring young people with disabilities to be the “ best they can be ”.
He said he enjoys encouraging young people to focus on their abilities and to give themselves time , including studying a university degree over a longer period .
“ I ’ ve done a lot of talking about careers and encouraging young people to focus on their abilities … to look at what their abilities and knowledge allow them to do . With my shaky hand , I couldn ’ t be a microsurgeon for example ,” he said .
“ For me , as a winemaker , it ’ s a lot about my ability to communicate and give instructions . I don ’ t physically make the wine , but I am there giving instructions for that wine to be handled the whole way along .”
John ’ s passion for wine and food stems from his upbringing on the family vineyard in South Australia ’ s Clare Valley .
“ I grew up on a Riesling vineyard and Mum and Dad have always loved Riesling … and I just love the diversity of the grape ,” he said .
“ Rieslingfreak is all about exploring the diversities of Riesling . There ’ s not many grapes in the world where you can make a dry , sweet , sparkling or fortified wine .”
Rieslingfreak had its best year ever in 2017 .
“ From the first crush of grapes I was out there saying it was the best Riesling vintage of the 21st century – it was definitely the best vintage I ’ ve ever seen ,” John said .
“ As a result , we took out five trophies in the Sydney Wine Show ,
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