Mark Lloyd’s best life
Winemaker and co-founder of Coriole Music Festival, Mark Lloyd recalls a perfect plate of mussels in the French winter and the moment that led to a meditation habit. The Coriole Music Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary at Coriole Vineyards on May 17 and 18.
What was the best day of your life?
There are so many memorable days of my life. I have been lucky. One event that had a big impact took place in a swimming pool, just a few years ago. I was just finishing the Aussie Masters program along with another swimmer – a vet. We often swam in the same lane. He said to me, “I’ve been reading about your type in the paper – what do they call it, ADHD? I had never heard of it. I Googled ADHD when I got home, and it took no time to see the strong links to the diagnosis. I saw two psychiatrists who both confirmed ADHD. I thought about my shocking academic record, inability to write, lack of concentration and hurried poor impulsive decisions. The moment was a relief. Here were at least some explanations of my erratic behaviour. With some optimism, I tried to stabilise my behaviour by re-visiting my meditation practise from some decades before.
Describe your best purchase.
My best purchase is the property where my wife Libby and I live on The Range at McLaren Flat. The region is a strongly connected community with a wide range of activities. The property itself is full of riches where we can grow some of our own food, revegetate 70 acres of hills face using the endemic species and grow some of the wine varieties that we have either introduced to the country or planted the first vineyards. We have taken a leadership role in the development of varieties such as picpoul. As active walkers, we encouraged a local community group to share the job of making a “public footpath” up the hill to a lookout which takes in the entire region across the vineyards to the sea.
We have also learnt from the local community and our own wine association to set new standards to improve the quality of our soils. Regenerative agriculture has become the norm in our district. The aim is to improve the quality of the land as it is farmed by improving organic carbon percentages, increasing biodiversity and boosting microbial life of the soil.
What is the best photograph you have?
Some of my favourite photographs are from the Coriole Music Festival, which Coriole Vineyards has proudly be home to for the past 25 years. The beauty of the setting for some of the finest chamber music, food and wine in the country is truly special and is an event that continues to bring me a lot of joy. There have been many great photographs taken over the festival’s history that I have been admiring ahead of the 2025 festival this year.
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
I have been given lots of good advice from my peers. Unfortunately, I have rarely heeded this advice. However, on one occasion, I surprisingly recall my father saying, “No, we are Lloyds, we don’t look back, we only look forward”. I try to share this sentiment.
Describe the best meal you’ve ever eaten.
My wife Libby is a wonderful cook. She also can really excel when the cupboard is almost bare. This I think is a great talent. While it’s hard to underline one meal with so many great ones served over the years, my work has taken me to many parts of the world and involved many meals in very highly regarded restaurants. But I love simple offerings. The context is also very powerful. One specific meal stands out; mussels in Brittany in France on a Sunday night down a side street in winter with the rain and wind tossing the hanging restaurant sign around. The restaurant was empty. The plate was heaped with mussels and a local white wine. But which wine? It wasn’t muscadet, the variety of the region. It was “Gros Plant” – a lean acidic astringent variety only consumed locally and frequently susceptible to rot. This light lean high acid white wine was the perfect partner for a plate of mussels. I love an underdog … and you can’t get more of an underdog than “Gros Plant”.
What are the attributes of your favourite person?
Loves roll mops and sardines. A wonderful cook that embraces creative flair with home produce. A person with a wide range of interests with great experiences in the arts. A great sense of community. Widely read, a creative designer, well organised with substantial intellect. Her only regret is that she didn’t marry a tradie.
Best five songs on your playlist.
Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps. Always leads to the dance floor. Song by Cuban Osvaldo Ferres in 1948 and popular version by Doris Day. Also a great version by Bueno Vista Social Club.
Cold Song from King Arthur and composed by Purcell over 300 years ago; intense and desperate and hard to believe it was composed so long ago.
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Moscow Dschinghis Khan. A very old family favourite. Perfect for the end of the evening. It replaced Zorba the Greek.
Mean Woman Blues. Roy Orbison 1957. The very latest musical discovery.
Milonga de Mis By Juan Arienzo. A classic Milonga from this famous Tango composer and band leader who died in 1975. A reminder of many years spent dancing.
Coriole Music Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary at Coriole Vineyards on May 17 and 18.