My wines are from my heart, and I put my energy and emotion into sculpting wines which I believe in. Many of my decisions are made on instinct and gut feelings where sometimes they are planned and sometimes are spontaneous. My winemaking philosophy is to limit all techniques to what I classify as "basic principals", where only fundamental (or traditional) techniques are used to make my wine. I favour natural acidity, wild yeasts and my wines are stabilised naturally only with the aid of Mother Nature. I don't use fining agents as I prefer to capture the natural characters of each variety to create unique personality and interest.
I do believe that the best wines are the ones that show a distinct personality; personality of not just provenance, but the vintage conditions and the personality of the person/people who made them. My wines will always tell a story.
In 2017 I began farming my own vineyard which I see as an important step for a producer who is always focused on quality and technique. I strive in creating a healthy ecology below and above ground; where I have never used herbicides and I practice organic and sustainable techniques where and when possible.
Cheers,
Stuart
The Brand Significance
The Name The brand name is taken from the phonetic spelling of Alchemy. Alchemy is a mix of Science, philosophy and mysticism in which base materials are turned into "gold".
The Symbols The symbolism of the Alkimi brand draws upon the representation of the 4 essential elements of Alchemy: fire, water, air and earth. With combinations of these elements any substance can be created.
The Artwork Mistral Series The label artwork was created by abstract expressionist, Christopher Shelton. Stuart and Chris have shared many glasses of wine and day trips around Victoria talking about art, wine and labels. This original oil on canvas piece came from Chris' interpretation of a number of photos taken by Stuart.
Yarra Valley Series The newly released series' artwork was created by Duncan McDade. Duncan is an animator and interactive designer based in Berlin, Germany. He created moving images of grapes, then specific frames were captured and transposed to the labels. This is his interpretation on what happens during the winemaking process; many layers coming together and moulding around each other,