Music, Friends, Drinks.
Musical Folk was born from the love of music, friends and drinks, where the sharing of music and good wine has led myself to make great friends and form important relationships.
I’m James, and I started the Musical Folk label just in-time for Vintage and Harvest 2021.
My journey into the wine industry was largely serendipitous, working casually at a number of Cellar Doors in the Yarra Valley, to help get by as a struggling musician and sound engineer. As luck may have it, I was offered the opportunity to lend a hand over a number of harvests as a bucket boy, emptying buckets of grapes into half tonne bins pulled along on the back of a tractor.
Fast forward a few vintages and the world of wine and viticulture has become a passion and insatiable love interest. I’ve worked in sales, marketing, export..as a Sommelier!.. training young vines and digging out blackberries around them.. and then some.. however, the winery was always the place I felt truly at home, wandering in and annoying winemakers with questions in exchange for cleaning half tonne bins.. jumping at any chance to get my hands dirty. Be it harvest, punching down ferments or stirring barrels, I couldn’t satisfy the hunger for more… leading me to this…
Chardonnay.. probably my deepest vinous love. Be it from Chablis or Mornington, it’s the varietal I lean most towards. It takes on a lot and gives back a little.. the winemakers grape as they say. I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to work with 2 tonne of hand-picked Chardonnay fruit from Yarra Glen in the Yarra Valley, thanks to the good folk at No7 in Healesville, and through that, I’m thrilled to have released my first cuvee from the outstanding 2021 Vintage.. a single vineyard Chardonnay. A few healthy years and vintages to follow, has allowed the Musical Folk venture to grow organically, allowing me to expand and produce expressions of Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Syrah, will refining the art of Chardonnay and deepening my understanding of the variety’s nuance.
The namesake ‘Musical Folk’ was decided upon after it became apparent that I’ve met arguably the most important people in my life through music. A common interest in playing, sharing and the seeing of live music has led way to forming important, life-long and life changing relationships. Without these bonds and support networks, the road to where I am today would’ve been vastly different.
The succession to dinner parties with great people and new friends, be it at home or the BYO Thai place down the road, while sharing a bottle of wine together, is where friendships and memories flourish.. It comes down to those special to you.
Most importantly, for me, if it wasn’t for one in particular, Nathan Ashworth, I wouldn’t have taken the leap in beginning my own venture. Thanks for the support and drive Nath, you’ve always been an inspiration, and Musical Folk will forever be in dedication to you.. We will have a glass and a laugh again soon enough.
In saying all this, if you do ever happen to cross paths with a wine I’ve made, I hope it brings you to good times and good conversations with great people… If you aren’t already in the company with those you love.
Here’s to good music, friends and drinks.
James
