About Stella Bella
Stella Bella is a boutique winery with vineyards around the Margaret River region. Janice McDonald and Stuart Pym took over the southern Suckfizze vineyard (then called Augusta) in 1996 and Stella Bella was born. Ever since, the winery has won numerous awards and accolades for many of their wines. They have the highest rating, five red stars, bestowed by wine writer James Halliday, signaling consistent production of quality wines.
Vineyards are in Wallcliffe, Rosa Brook and Karridale (all in Central and Southern Margaret River), each with their own micro-climate and soil types. All vines are all on their own roots (and not on root stock). Practice is to use minimal chemical inputs or fertilizers in all vineyards and every block is picked and vinified separately.
As of 2013, Stuart is Consulting Winemaker. He has a distinguished pedigree making wine over the last thirty years including at both Vasse Felix and Voyager Estate in the Margaret River region.
Luke Jolliffe, a former viticulturalist, is Stella Bella’s Senior Winemaker. He grew up in the Clare Valley wine region and completed his Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Viticulture major) at Adelaide University. After graduating in 1999, Luke joined Hardy’s Tintara operation in McLaren Vale as Viticultural Technical Officer, where he stayed until 2003. Whilst working at Tintara he also completed his Post Graduate Degree in Oenology.
In 2005 Luke’s growing passion for winemaking took him to the Rhône Valley, where he worked vintage at Raymond Troillas, based in St Joseph. He has been at Stella Bella since 2007, and is a regular Wine Show Judge at the Qantas Wine Show of Western Australia and Perth Royal Wine Show. Luke was nominated for the Wine Society’s Young Winemaker of the Year Award in 2012.
Stella Bella has several ranges of wines delineated by price and winemaking style which, in order are: Skuttlebutt (approachable everyday), Stella Bella (outstanding & refined), Suckfizzle (single vineyard from the very southern tip of the region) and Serie Luminosa (made for longevity).
