Sip and groove: Sacramento’s natural wine garden party returns this weekend

A casual, sophisticated wine outing returns to Sacramento County this weekend, offering tastings of more than 30 wines from across California.

Eden Natty Wine Garden, a day party event, is scheduled from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Estate Farms, 6240 Excelsior Road, in Vineyard. Event curator D’Aramis Byrd said the gathering is aimed at pairing an “eclectic palette of natural wine with an eclectic palette of music.”

Byrd, a Sacramento DJ and event coordinator, said he wants Sacramento to become a destination for unique experiences, especially for wine enthusiasts.

“We travel outside of our borders to visit places and go participate in experiences that other cities offer that we don’t have,” Byrd said. “I want to give people outside of the borders of Sacramento, to come and see something that they might not have, or something that’s our niche. So I’m just trying to do my part in creating an atmosphere where it’s worth the drive or the flight to come out.”

Byrd first developed his passion for wine while working in catering in 2018. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced social distancing, Byrd turned to social media to share affordable wine recommendations, eventually creating a community on Instagram.

“I was just in the crib, drinking wine, listening to music, and I was posting things like that, just giving recommendations to people and giving the track IDs that I was pairing with my wine,” Byrd said. “That turned into me making a wine page. ... I would just do this like slow-motion pour to a song and I would give a description of the wine, and I would rate it and tell people where they can get it and the price of it.”

Building a wine community

Byrd’s online presence led to a residency at a wine bar in midtown Sacramento, where he played music while learning more about natural wines. He packed the venue with wine lovers and music fans alike.

He discovered the distinction between conventional wines, typically found at grocery stores, and natural wines, which is made with minimal intervention, using fermented grapes without additives, preservatives or pesticides. Unlike conventional wines, which often include added sulfites and processing agents, natural wines rely on native yeasts and simple techniques to highlight the pure character of the fruit.

As more people showed up to explore wine and enjoy the music, Byrd’s confidence grew, and he saw the potential to build a larger community.

“A lot of the people who came to see me DJ at the wine bar, that was their introduction to wine,” he said. “Wine wasn’t even on their palate at all, and that was their introduction to it. And so I kind of felt like a responsibility to keep things going once I ended my residency, and then I wanted to make it bigger.”

Eden Natty Wine Garden debuted last year in Old Sacramento, offering a wide selection of natural wines alongside house music, R&B, hip-hop and afrobeats.

‘Seeing ourselves’ in the wine space

Byrd, who is Black, said he recognized parallels between natural wine culture and Black culture, including hip-hop, R&B and house music. He described them as “marginalized and underfunded” yet “super creative, innovative and relentless.”

Byrd said he curates Eden Natty Wine Garden carefully to ensure Black people feel seen and welcomed.

“Seeing ourselves in spaces that we don’t normally see ourselves in, and expanding our palate, that’s also what I do with house music,” he said. “I just want us to be able to be comfortable in spaces that we don’t frequent. And wine is one of those, because the more conventional side, it’s a little stiffer. Some people might call it a little snobby, or things like that. So the natural wine feels more relatable, feels more approachable, and feels more at home.”

Byrd said he plans to host another Eden Natty Wine Garden event in May, with two more scheduled for the fall.

Tickets for Sunday’s event are available for $28 on Eventbrite. Byrd noted that last-minute tickets will increase to $40.