Meet Egyptian-Australian Farah Sabet, founder of Natural Wine store Bud Of Love

Have you ever heard about natural wines? These wines made with organic grapes, no pesticides, free of additives? Well let us tell you something: once you try it, there’s no going back. Farah Sabet, is the Egyptian-Australian woman entrepreneur behind Bud of Love, her own natural wine business in Melbourne, born during the 2020 lockdown. JDEED wanted to know more about Sabet and her start-up.

Hi Farah! Tell us a bit about you and how you first caught interest in natural wines?

I’ve always been a lover of wine, my friends even call me wine eyes because I get that little gimmer in my eyes when I’ve had a little too much haha. During lockdown in Melbourne Australia I needed a creative outlet and decided to start a little online wine store only selling the best natural local & imported wines. A year later and I have signed a lease for a physical bottle shop wine bar which I would have never dreamed of.

What is the natural wine scene like in Australia and specifically Melbourne?

Very popular, I think people are now more conscious and aware of what they are putting in their bodies and wanting to support smaller vineyards & winemakers which is also why I really got into natural wine.

For someone who never tried natural wines, how would you define them? What’s your personal favourite?

The first time people try natural wine I like to tell them it may taste a little funky which is completely normal as there are no preservatives but the taste is always amazing. You may also find sediment at the bottom again very normal and this is usually grape skins or stems. I have so many faveourite winemakers, but at the top of my head.
Little Reddie
Sam Vinciullo
Les Fruits

What is the importance of aesthetics in your activity, website, Instagram in terms of communications, but also the aesthetics of the labels of the wines you sell?

I wanted my website & Instagram to be fun and approachable. People in the wine industry can be a little serious (snobby haha) therefore  I wanted to position myself away from that and just have fun with it. Wine should be enjoyed with friends & family over dinner, in front of your fave TV show or at a house party, It shouldn’t be serious. I will always respect how much work winemakers put in their their wine and I love showcasing that.

How do you choose your wine selection and what makes it special and/or disruptive?

It started off by regions, I started to drink a lot (for research of course haha) and then studied regions I liked. From there it became easy to find wine & winemakers that I really loved. All my wines are tried by me & loved by me.

You’re a young Egyptian-Australian woman launching her own business; what would be a word of advice for other young Arab women out here looking to build their own company?

As women and especially Arab women, we have a lot of pressure on us to fit into a mould. My mother will always be a true inspiration for me. She migrated from Egypt at 20, with hardly any money. She now owns 2 successful businesses and has always pushed me to do the same. I would say, follow your dreams, know that you can achieve anything if you work hard and stay true to who you are. 

Do you go to Egypt often and how does the Arab culture reflect in your daily life and perhaps even in your professional life?

Not as often as I would like unfortunately but I would love to visit soon. As i get older I really appreciate my culture, the food, the history & want to try and incorporate that into my business through decor, awareness etc. I also want to show white Australians that just because I am Arab does not mean I can’t be successful, smart & hard working. Unfortunately I think there is a stigma around Arab women.

Your ambitions with Buds of Love?

To build my shop, connect with the community & leave my dreams out. I would love to work with a winemaker one day and create a wine that I can share with the world. That is my next goal for Bud Of Love.

Visit Bud of Love’s website right here!