Australia is really making a strong push for the title of Heaven on Earth. Their coffee and natural wine scenes have been well ahead of their respective curves for many years, and with their top-notch pandemic response and subsequent countrywide reopening—they not only hosted the Australian Open this year but allowed in maskless spectators—it’s hard not to feel down when looking at all the fun they are having Down Under.
And now they are just moonwalking on the rest of us with Naturellement, an in-the-flesh two-day natural wine party in Newcastle West, NSW.
Taking place April 17th and 18th at The Edwards—with two sessions each day—Naturellement brings together “some of the best chefs in the area, as well as many top beer, wine, and spirits purveyors both from regional NSW and around the world,” per Boss Hunting. Hosting the event will be The Edwards owner Chris Joannou, and while that name may not ring a lot of bells, Joannou is most certainly known by folks of a certain age as the former bass player of ‘90s Australian grunge rock band Silverchair. (News of which sent Silverchair jokes flying across Sprudge’s Slack channel, including, with apologies: “What do you consume when the water out of the tap is very hard to drink?” and “Will the grapes frogstomped?”)
Per Boss Hunting, Naturellement will feature pours from some of the biggest names in natural wine, quite a few of whom you’ve seen featured previously on Sprudge Wine, including Radikon, Frank Cornelissen, Jura’s Octavin, Gut Oggau, Gravner, Partida Creus, Cantina Giardino, “and a few others.” Splashes will be accompanied by “a bespoke menu curated by chefs Shayne Mansfield (Flotilla), Joel Humphrey (Scotties and Lost Boys), Remy Tattersall (Equium Social), David Gleadhill (Subo), and Michael Portley (The Edwards).”
There’s also an optional learning component at Naturellement for those first dipping their toes into the natural wine world. For an additional $30 AUD, partygoers can attend more intimate masterclass sessions, with topics including An Introduction to Natural Wines, The Orange Wine Party, A Pet-Nat Party, and Wild Style Wines.
Tickets for Naturellement range from $55 AUD for a single session to $75 AUD for those looking to like, party party with back-to-back sessions on the same day. It all goes down Saturday and Sunday, April 17th and 18th at The Edwards in Newcastle West, NSW. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit Naturellement’s Eventbrite page.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
