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Our Founder and Head Winemaker - Louis Costa
French-born Australian winemaker, master brewer and passionate meadmaker - Louis Costa is a pioneer of new-age winemaking with his visionary range of fine fermented beverages.
Raised amongst the vines of Pauillac, in the heart of the Bordeaux wine region, wine runs through his blood and has been part of his family for generations.
Although he now lives in Australia, Louis owns and manages his family's biodynamic vineyard in St. Estephe, on the banks of the Bordeaux region’s Gironde estuary, where he has replanted 80-year old vines with new disease-resistant hybrids which are flourishing due to his commitment to never spray nor use any toxic chemicals. Instead, he follows ancient winemaking traditions, following moon cycles and biodynamic practices, as well as composting, planting fruit trees and following the seasons.
Louis travelled from France to Byron Bay Australia in 2012, with a passion to connect to the local terroir of the Northern Rivers, and create something uniquely Australian - bringing his generational knowledge of winemaking with him - and fell in love with an Australian girl.
Trained in the vineyards of Bordeaux and Western Australia before settling in Byron Bay in 2012 and working as a master brewer, Louis spent years perfecting his methodology of transforming honey into dry, elegant wines and sparklings, before bringing a single bottle to market.
The outcome is a world's first: the finest dry honey wines in the world, using some of the best and most medicinal natural ingredients from the Australian bush.
Louis founded AURUM on a simple principle: to never cut corners nor compromise on quality.
Redefining the possibilities - in the vineyard and beyond.
With his legacy rooted in French winemaking excellence, Louis is pushing boundaries and producing unique beverages that transcend tradition while honouring the craft.
Louis' relentless pursuit of innovation has redefined what can be created in the vineyard and beyond. His journey to Australia represents a pilgrimage driven by an insatiable desire to bring extraordinary products to light.
The AURUM range captivates the palate with harmonious blends of delicate eucalypt notes of pure Australian Manuka honey with wild-sourced Australian bush herbs and flowers to create fine wines that taste remarkably elegant and similar to traditional grape wines and champagnes.
Every bottle reflects his unwavering commitment to doing good, a commitment to honour Australia’s natural biodiversity and create a positive impact, bringing celebration, story and a sense of terroir and connection to the table.
In an industry often bound by convention, Louis is the innovator who dares to reimagine, the craftsman who refuses to compromise, and the creator who believes that exceptional wines can be made without harming the environment, or our bodies.
Sitting at the intersection of wine, champagne, beer and mead, Louis' products are entirely unique in their profile and present an exciting alternative that modern consumers and sommeliers have been looking for.
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Sustainability - Our Passion
Honey wine is the most sustainable alcoholic beverage in existence, and AURUM is at its core its finest expression.
Crafted without the need for vineyards, pesticides, monoculture or mass production, every bottle begins with pure Australian honey, selected from ethical beekeepers who put the health of their bees and the environment above all else.
Every batch is tested to guarantee zero traces of chemicals or pesticides, and AURUM gives 1% of every sale back to growing bee populations across Australia.
AURUM aims to transform the world of fine wine to embrace the finer aspects of environmental sustainability and conscious consumption.
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OUR PROCESS
AURUM wines are made just like a fine wine or French champagne.
Our winemaker begins by selecting the honey varietal for each wine, chosen for its distinct flavour and texture profile.
From there, the finest superfood Manuka is added — and depending on the product (our sparkling rosé, for example) — co-fermented with native Australian botanicals, the purest spring water, and a proprietary French chardonnay yeast strain our winemaker spent twelve years developing.
The wine is rested on lees, racked and follows the same journey as a premium handcrafted, small-batch wine. Oak and port barrels are used for ageing in our reds and dessert wines.
Our Méthode Traditionnelle (Champenoise) Premium Grand Reserve sparkling cuvées spend over five years ageing, and are made with riddling and disgorgement — just like a Grand Cru champagne.
At bottling, only the most minimal sulphites are added — up to 10 times less than a standard wine, and often less than even a natural wine — purely for shelf stability.
Once opened, AURUM lasts far longer than grape wine, thanks to honey's natural antibacterial and antifungal properties.
A bottle of our still wine can last in the fridge for up to three weeks after opening.
OUR INGREDIENTS
Pure, purposeful, distinctly Aurum.
Every ingredient is selected for flavour, function and finesse.
100% Pure Natural Raw Honey
Sourced from the Northern Rivers and across NSW, our honeys are chosen for their individuality, depth and floral character - from medicinal-grade Manuka and Paperbark to Brush Box, Macadamia, Banksia, Yellow Box, Rainforest, Eucalyptus, Red Gum, Blue Gum, Spotted Gum and Wild Quince.
Mount Tambourine Spring Water
Pure spring water brings clarity, balance and a clean finish.
Our Signature AURUM Yeast
Developed through 12 years of fermenting Aurum, our own proprietary yeast strain developed by our winemaker gives each wine its signature texture, aroma and precision.
Native Botanicals and Plant Extracts
Depending on the product, the addition of co-fermented bush pepper, rosella, strawberry gum leaves, rosemary, medicinal terpenes, organic and wild forest berries and hops bring layered aromatics and a distinctly modern Australian edge.
What Makes It Different
Aurum combines regional honey diversity, native botanicals and house fermentation to create a refined and innovative take on premium honey wine.