Veteran winemaker Janice McDonald joins Stuart Pym at Flowstone Wines

One of the region’s veteran winemakers has thrown her lot in with winemaking partner Stuart Pym and joined Flowstone Wines for good.

Ex-Stella Bella and Howard Park vigneron Janice McDonald announced the shift this week.

“Stuart has achieved great things with Flowstone, and I’m looking forward to building on that success with him,” she said.

“Producing exceptional wine from the Margaret River region will always be at the heart of Flowstone.”

While talking up her partner’s achievements, McDonald would bring additional clout to the small producer based in Forest Grove south of Margaret River.

The former 2018 Gourmet Traveller winemaker of the year was a driving force at Stella Bella Wines and helped her partner Pym start the unconventional Suckfizzle wine brand.

McDonald has finished up a 10-year stint as director of winemaking for Burch Family Wines which owns the Howard Park and MadFish brands.

And while the new venture — started by Pym in 2013 — was a smaller operation, McDonald said she only sought to reinforce what the winery was already doing rather than lead it in a new direction.

“This proven partnership will continue to focus on small parcels from vineyards they manage and own,” the winery said in an official statement.

Flowstone proved its mettle at the James Halliday Awards over east in August, taking out its category for the winery’s 2020 Queen of the Earth Margaret River sauvignon blanc.

Pym said the vineyard’s specific character was the greatest attribute for his winning wines.

“Our role is to interpret and work in our vineyards using sustainable practices to maximise the vineyard’s health, the wellbeing of the environment, and the quality of each harvest,” he said.

“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.”

Flowstone was also undertaking a rehabilitation project with Nature Conservation Margaret River as part of their quest for Sustainable Winegrowing Australia certification.

The couple first met back in the 1980s while helping establish the Matilda Bay Brewing Co.