Devotees of natural, skin-contact, amber, funky and minimal-intervention drops are going to want to stow away inside the luggage of P&V Merchants’ Mike Bennie and Lou Dowling when they board a flight bound for Bali in February 2020 – bringing some of their finest fermented beverages in tow.

Taking over beloved Canggu joint The Slow Kitchen & Bar, Mike and Lou will host a natural wine party on 29 February at 7.00pm. The pair will be catering to the growing demand for natural wines in Bali, which can be challenging to track down in this part of the world – due to custom and trade law restrictions.

“We like fun and education in equal measure. We usually crank up the party vibes and typically dominate the venue with a re-theming, for shits and giggles. We’re keen as to be in Bali doing this extraordinary thing with The Slow – an iconic joint with a strong pulse for shifting the dial,” Mike says.

Wine will be served up alongside a special menu designed by The Slow’s team for the occasion. Executive chef Dan Medcalf will be curating wine-friendly snacks in collaboration with the P&V team, and a DJ will keep crowds gathered until the early hours.

Mike explains, “We’re trying to really bring the vibe of P&V Newtown to Bali with the same energy and electricity we do for all our takeovers (including the Dolphin Hotel, Babyface Kitchen and Leonardo’s in Melbourne).

“We’re going to be pouring crazy-good wines, rarities, b-sides, cult producers and everything from baller wines of famed producers like Radikon, Gravner, Jean-Yves Peron, through to Australian pet nats – of the likes of pint-sized producers Frankly, This Wine Is Made By Bob, The Other Right, Trutta – through to landmark Australian natural wine of Jauma, Lucy M, Shobbrook and more. Expect wines from Georgia, Jura, Savoie, Beaujolais, Chile, a real cornucopia of things, with many wines limited to a single bottle.”