A drink with… Justin Moran

Together with Australian Football League star Richie Vandenberg, entrepreneur Justin Moran founded The Hidden Sea wine label to tackle ocean pollution. Launched in 2015, to date 15 million plastic bottles have been removed from the ocean. The goal is to remove one billion bottles by 2030.

‘People told me I’d lost my mind when I got involved in the wine industry. We took on a facility not knowing anybody in the wine industry; I’d never crushed a grape or anything. We took over the old Stonehaven facility, a 12,000-tonne winery, with a dream to build a brand with purpose. That was back in 2013. And it’s been a baptism of fire.

‘Why the ocean? Why plastic? It’s very simple for me, I’ve seen the destruction. I can’t talk about global warming. I’m not a scientist. But what I’ve seen from a young age, during my early teens, 20s, travelling around the world, up until now – there is plastic everywhere. For me it was about sustainability. How can I use my business to do good? And the wine industry seemed like the right vehicle for me. It’s linked to the land and agriculture. So what better business to talk about sustainability and doing the right thing?

‘When people say what’s your favourite wine, I look them straight in the eye and then I say: “The wine I’m drinking now”. I’m very much an in-the-moment person.

‘We have myriad partners around the world. And that’s because we’ve got a global problem, right? And our ocean connects us all. However, we need local action. So in the UK Marine Conservation Society, we’re actually working on a project right now with SailGP (sailgp.com). They do 600 beach clean-ups around the world.

‘Just think about what you’re doing. You don’t need to buy water in a bottle – or anything where it’s going to be one use. Think about it. We’re not all perfect but just try to be conscious of your footprint… No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.

‘The goal for 2023 is 24 million plastic bottles out of the ocean, so that’s the next target.’

For the full interview by Julie Sheppard, see decanter.com