Margaret River producer Flowstone Wines has enlisted the services of winemaker, Janice McDonald, who joins up with partner and long-time collaborator, Stuart Pym.
McDonald has had an esteemed career in wine, spanning some 30 years. She most recently served as the Director of Winemaking at Burch Family Wines, where she produced both Howard Park and MadFish wines for more than a decade.
Pym said that the partnership at Flowstone will focus on small batches of high-quality fruit from the vineyards that the producers owns.
“We believe the vineyard creates our wines. Our role is to interpret and work in our vineyards using sustainable practices to maximise the vineyard’s health, the well-being of the environment and the quality of each harvest.”
“We’ve both been making wine in Margaret River for over 30 years, and we acknowledge that vineyards and climate continue to evolve, which means there are always practices we can adopt to enhance the quality of the wines we produce,” Pym explained.
While McDonald added: “Stuart has achieved great things with Flowstone, and I’m looking forward to building on that success with him.”
“Producing exceptional wine from the Margaret River region will always be at the heart of Flowstone.”
Previously, Pym and McDonald worked together to set up the idiosyncratic Suckfizzle brand and Stella Bella Wines in 1999, while both were key players in the foundation of Matilda Bay Brewing Co in the late 1980s. Pym then took a position as winemaker at Voyager Estate, while McDonald worked in the same role at Devil’s Lair.
Pym created Flowstone with Phil Giglia in 2004, moving to the brand in a more permanent capacity in 2013. Flowstone is known for its small parcel Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon expressions, but also produces experimental wines and blends from plantings of Gewürtztraminer, Touriga, Shiraz and Grenache.