Damien Stevens & Jodie Belleville .
Australia
A Hunter Valley schooled specialist husband and wife team
Damien and Jodie are a winemaking duo funded by your fellow Angels in Australia. Their Fuzzy & May’s 2018 Shiraz from Hunter Valley is featured in a special charitable pre-order that supports relief and recovery efforts related to the Australian bushfires of 2019-20.
The inventive husband and wife team behind Fuzzy & May are beloved by Australian Angels – their unique and playful wines have impressed from day one.
Damien and Jodie have honed their craft at a wide array of Hunter Valley based wineries like Brokenwood, McGuigans, Briar Ridge and Wandin Valley. They also picked up amazing old world vintage experience in Campania, Italy.
The first-ever Semillon the pair produced in 2010 won both the best current vintage Semillon and current vintage white wine at the Hunter Valley Wine Show! With Angel funding and support, it's only up from here as they can now access top-class fruit & winemaking resources to keep improving year in, year out.
Vineyard Location
Damien Stevens & Jodie Belleville .'s Story
Damien and Jodie's Story
This Angel-funded couple pour lashings of love into their wines! Unlike many of other winemakers, Damien and Jodie honed their craft without a history of winemaking in their family. Instead they've blazed the trail for themselves over the past decade, and what a ride it's been. Having spent years on the flip side of the industry in high end hospitality around the world, Damien and Jodie know first hand the importance of true quality in wine as well as the proximity of its source to those that will drink it.
Before kicking off their own brand Hart & Hunter in 2009, the pair got some impressive vintage experience under their belt. They covered some of the Hunter Valley's great wine producers; Brokenwood, McGuigans, Briar Ridge, Wandin Valley, and a few vintages overseas including Campania, Italy.
And nakedwines.com Austrlaia is thrilled to have this talented duo on board with their new label Fuzzy & May, a dedication to their children. To think that the first ever Semillon they produced in 2010 won both best current vintage Semillon and best current vintage white wine at the Hunter Valley Wine Show is enough to make our mouths water! They've been awarded an additional 9 trophies and a further 23 gold medals for their wines, a huge achievement for such a small company over the space of just five years.
Thanks to Angels, this family are looking ahead to an even brighter future as Aussie winemakers! Angel funding has given them the opportunity to work with fruit from exceptional vineyards they otherwise couldn't access. The pair thrive off the challenge of constant change, adapting to the vintage conditions to ensure the wines reflect the quality of fruit that they begin with. No two years are ever the same! Damien and Jodie love their unique position in the Hunter and bounce off each other's creative energy, an essential ingredient from day one of the growing season all the way until the wine hits your lips.
