Flock Rosé - The Passion Project

From my humble beginnings importing Hampton Water Rosé (Jon Bon Jovi’s Rosé!), I shifted my focus away from international business and wanted to concentrate all my attention on the Yarra Valley and its wine region. A locally made and sourced rosé was the obvious choice. My close friend, Stuart, from Alkimi Wines, suggested that we embark on a collaborative project to create a rosé wine. That's when the dream for Flock Rosé began.

Stuart started Alkimi in 2014. Prior to this, he worked in Europe and at top wineries in Australia – Henschke, Yarra Yering, Oakridge, and Mac Forbes. Stu is all about wild yeasts and minimal inputs to bring out the natural characteristics of the grapes and vintage. We were aiming for a "provincial" feel, and we're both really pleased with the wine.

Stuart, true to his style, keeps things fairly simple in the winery. Like an artist who knows when to finish their masterpiece, Stuart knows the right times to work the grapes and the right times to do nothing.

The handpicked grapes were brought back to the winery and whole bunch pressed to a mixture of stainless steel and old oak for fermentation. After completing fermentation, the wine was allowed to mature on its solids (lees) for a further 6 months before being bottled.

As a humble carpenter, I really know nothing about winemaking, so I placed all my trust in Stu and his knowledge of the Yarra Valley. My focus shifted to the label and design, and of course, selling the stuff (we do need to make money). Flock comes from my love of all things flamingos. I am a rather flamboyant and extravagant individual, not afraid to put myself out there. If you don't follow me on Instagram, please start @thefunwineguy and see what I mean.

Small details such as making the label out of foil rather than paper, coordinating the capsule color, and adding a personal story on the back helped make the wine feel like a part of both Stu and me.

Follow Stu and me and watch us grow. We want you to join our Flock and try one of the Yarra Valley's finest wines. Head over to our shop and purchase some today.

Wine Animal Out.