Natalie Hazel
CHAMPAGNE SPECIALIST
About Natalie Hazel
Natalie is an Independent Champagne Specialist, Journalist, Educator and Presenter based in Sydney. Natalie is an engaging and insightful writer covering all aspects of Champagne, from the latest cellar innovations, champagne industry trends and new cuvées.
After over 20 years as a senior corporate lawyer in one of Australia’s largest law firms, Natalie undertook her WSET3 qualification and the Wine Scholar Guild Champagne Master-Level Intensive Course in Reims with leading world experts Peter Liem and Essi Avellan. Natalie now travels frequently to the Champagne region to meet with
Champagne houses and growers to uncover the latest developments, both in the vineyard and the cellars.
"Champagne is where wine meets luxury:
the embodiment of elegance and celebration."
Natalie is the founder of
Société de Champagne Sydney
Société de Champagne Sydney is a social club for the appreciation and enjoyment of champagne in Sydney.
Natalie also founded the Sydney Women in Champagne tasting group for champagne specialists, with representatives from Champagne Maisons, leading Sydney sommeliers and hospitality representatives all attending the quarterly meetings.
Natalie runs the popular @champagneinstyle, one of Australia’s most successful independent Champagne Instagram accounts.
Natalie's extensive formal qualifications include:
- Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 3
- Wine Scholar Guild Champagne Master-Level (Candidate)
- Wine Scholar Guild French Wine Scholar (Candidate)
- Advanced Champagne Certificate with Tyson Stelzer
- Bachelor of Business (B.Bus) University of Technology Sydney
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) University of Technology Sydney
- Master of Laws (LLM) University of Technology Sydney
Natalie's favourite pastime is finding perfect food pairings for champagne.
She is a firm believer that there is an ideal champagne pairing for any dish, and regularly hosts events to demonstrate that champagne is so much more than just an apéritif!
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Society COLUMN
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