There’s a quiet magic unfolding in the heart of Newrybar. Locals and travellers step inside expecting a simple tasting… and leave feeling as though they’ve discovered one of Australia’s best-kept secrets.
Open every Saturday this summer (except 27 December), Newrybar Hall transforms into the Aurum Cellar Door, an intimate tasting experience unlike anything else in the region.
It begins with Louis, the winemaker, sharing his story. Hailing from Bordeaux, where he still manages his vineyard in St-Estèphe, he describes how a devotion to fine wine guided him into new territory, crafting a beverage just as refined, only made without grapes – right here in Byron Bay. Ten years of research, countless trials, and the region’s finest medicinal honeys culminate in what guests are about to taste.
Then the first glass appears: Aurum’s gold-medal-award-winning Sparkling Blanc de Miel. A dry honey champagne-style bubbles – bright, precise, elegant – paired with a Michelin-curated canapé: fresh Ballina prawns on a warm gluten-free blini with crème montée, lemon, and chive. One bite, one sip, and the room falls into a hush.
‘I had no idea something made from honey could taste like this,’ someone whispers.
Next comes White Gold, recently named one of the AFR’s top 20 best drinks of the year, served with line-caught smoked tailor rillette, spice, and pink ginger. Impossibly refined, this manuka and macadamia honey cuvee delivers Chenin-like elegance, creamy texture, and a soft lingering finish.
The story continues with the ‘Best in Show’ Rosé, winner at the Australian Nationals, alongside a basil and red-berry coulis that glows with summer, and later, passionfruit mousse with the vibrant acidity of their guava sauvage – a local favourite that wins hearts before the tasting ends.
Six Aurum wines. Six chef-crafted canapés. Tastings from $5; full experience $45 per person.
With Christmas fast approaching, Aurum is an exceptional and uniquely local gift. Locals enjoy exclusive cellar door discounts and Aurum ship their wines and manuka honeys Australia-wide.
Discover it every Saturday in Newrybar.
Bookings: 0468 339 538, [email protected], aurummead.com
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