Join some of the best talent in Australian Wine at Full Moon, Byron Bay’s first natural wine festival on May 14.
All the producers and importers attending produce biodynamic or organically farmed wines with little intervention in the cellar. Their wines are pure, kind to the planet, free of chemical inputs or alterations besides the use of small amounts of sulphur dioxide where necessary and best of all they’re absolutely delicious.
Organisers Luna Wine Store have also decided to get behind the local community in a big way with all profits raised on the day going to the Koori Mail ‘Rebuild Fund’. Koori Mail is Australia’s national aboriginal newspaper that is 100% indigenous owned. Since the flood-hit, Koori Mail Lismore became a hub for the local response and local Bundjalung woman Ella Bancroft spearheaded the assisting of those in the local community. Ella Bancroft will also join FULL MOON to discuss the importance of Koori Mail’s efforts.
At $65, ticket holders will enjoy a 2-hour tasting session (12-2pm or 3-5pm) which includes a branded wine glass on entry, and the opportunity to sample wine with all 20 producers. Each producer will have 2-4 wines on offer, therefore ticket price exposes holders to tasting up to 80 different wines, as well as personal conversations with each.
The wine line-up includes cult Australian favourite Owen Latta, who is said to have wine in his veins and has made a name for himself with his perpetual consistency of quality and ingenuity year on year; local hero Jarred Dixon of Jilly Wine Co; Australian natural wine darlings Tim and Monique from the Adelaide Hills and their Manon wines; dynamic duo Chateau Acid; celebrated chef Dave Verheul who is leading lights in Australia’s burgeoning vermouth movement with micro-batches of Saison vermouth; and LoFi wines bringing a collection of local and international producers with a focus on low-intervention in the cellar and a passion for good drinking in the glass.
The bar will be serving drinks all day from 12pm-10pm, and from 5.30pm everyone can get can their boogie on with local DJ talent In The Flowers (5:30pm-8pm in the garden), and DJ Charlie Chux (8:30pm-10pm indoors). Expect many rare varietal wines by the glass from $15, and pizza by Milk & Honey.
Co-owners and renowned sommeliers Russ Berry, James Audas and Tom Sheer at Luna Wine Store are leading the charge for transparency. They believe in clearly communicating viticultural practices and winemaking input to the drinker so that we know exactly what is in our glass. FULL MOON is committed to empowering all wine drinkers through real, informed choice. It is about truth, authenticity and frank wine talking, but most of all it’s about showcasing really good wine and building the community.
‘Long before opening the doors at Luna Wine Store, I’ve wanted to create an environment in Byron that allows people to connect with the wines they love to drink. We are hoping to now make meaningful connection also with first nations people within our communities, FULL MOON is our fun way of bringing the community together to enjoy the company of some of the country’s most exciting producers whilst also being able to help some people that really need it right now. We want to create an environment where people want to engage, learn and ask questions, as well as tasting a few wines and having a dance.’ – Russ Berry, Luna Wine Store