In conjunction with their 30th anniversary, Bali’s original winery, Hatten Wines, celebrated the island’s food and beverage pioneers, creating the Bali Dining Legends Awards.
On Saturday, 7 December 2024, a fabulous gala dinner unfolded at the Meru Convention, a grand ballroom overlooking Sanur Beach. This was a milestone moment for Bali’s first winery, Hatten Wines, who invited partners and the food and beverage community to come together and celebrate an impressive three decades of growing and making Balinese wines.
Hatten Wines was founded by Ida Bagus Rai Budarsa, who had a vision to develop the first ever Balinese-made wine using grapes grown on the island. In 1994 they produced their first ever bottle: the Hatten Rosé. Fast forward to today and the quality and range of the wines has seen tremendous growth. Their impressive selection includes a Hatten Wines range, including sparkling wines and now noble grape varieties of Syrah and Chenin Blanc; the award-winning Pino de Bali fortified wine; Dragonfly sweet wines; and TWO Islands and TWO Islands Reserve. Another significant milestone came in January 2023 when the company went public with an IPO, now listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange.
The anniversary event was an opportunity for Hatten Wines to celebrate together with partners, friends and family. Welcome speeches were given by Mr. Ed Brea, General Manager of The Meru Sanur; Mrs Ni Made Ayu Marthini, Marketing Deputy for Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism; and a personal testimonial from the new Vice-Minister of Tourism, Ms. Niluh Puspa.
Founder IB Rai Budarasa also made a special speech, explaining that the evening was not simply about Hatten Wines, it was a show of gratitude to partners in both the tourism industry and Bali’s food and beverage industry, without whom Hatten Wines could not be what it is today. A grand toast featuring the newly launched TWO Islands Prosecco followed, introduced by Head of Winemaker, James Kalleske.
The First Ever Bali Dining Legends Awards
The main agenda of the evening was an awarding ceremony for ‘Bali’s Dining Legends’, envisioned by IB Rai Budarsa as a way to give proper recognition to the earliest pioneers of the island’s restaurant industry —venues that helped to develop the early dining scene and pave the way for what has become one of Bali’s biggest attractions.
The recipients of this honour included:
Made’s Warung
Bridging international tourists with local cuisine since its humble beginnings in 1969. Founded by Ibu Made Masih, this is one of Bali’s oldest restaurants, and has been passed down four generations, spreading its wings to new cities in Indonesia and across the world.
Murni’s Warung
One of Ubud’s oldest restaurant, opened in 1974 by Ibu Ni Wayan Murni. This self-made woman was a big part of Ubud’s early tourism push in the 70’s, and her namesake restaurant offers a classic Bali experience, set over four floors with fabulous views over the Wos River.
Casa Luna
Founded by Janet DeNeefe, who having fallen in love with the island, its food and indeed a Balinese man, moved to Ubud in 1984 and together with her husband Ketut Suardana became renowned restaurateurs. They founded Casa Luna restaurant in 1992, and Janet helped to put Balinese food on the map with her memoir, cookbooks, cooking classes and the annual Ubud Food Festival.
Bumbu Bali
Founded by Heinz van Holzen, a passionate chef who discovered Balinese cuisine when he moved to Bali in 1990 as the Executive Chef of Grand Hyatt Bali. Together with his Balinese wife, Puji, they started Bumbu Bali restaurant, focused on bringing authentic Balinese cuisine to visitors. The restaurant’s cooking classes have become one of Bali’s iconic experiences, and Chef Heinz has written ten Balinese and Indonesian cookbooks, shared with the world.
Menega Cafe
One of the quintessential Bali dining experiences is found on Jimbaran Bay, where everyday residents and visitors will crowd the beaches to enjoy the perfect combination of sunset, sand and seafood. Menega Café, founded by Bapak Made Arthana, is one of the most well-known on the Jimbaran Seafood row, a long-standing venue with a history that has pleased thousands of diners over the decades.
Ryoshi Bali
Founded in 1993 by Sagon Togasa, this venue was a pioneer in Bali’s live music scene. During the day, Ryoshi Bali served authentic Japanese cuisine, at night, the venue transformed into one of Bali’s most legendary jazz music hotspots. Over three decades, the brand has expanded beyond Bali with more than eight branches.
Mozaic Bali
Considered the pioneer of fine dining on the island, Mozaic Bali was founded by Chef Chris Salans in 2001. It was the first standalone restaurant to serve a degustation, or tasting menu experience, introducing a culinary philosophy to highlight Indonesia’s exotic ingredients through French haute-cuisine. Since 2022, the restaurant has passed to Chef-Owner Blake Thornley who continues this ethos in new and exciting ways.
The recipients were thrilled to be recognised for their efforts, receiving a beautifully designed ‘wine barrel’ trophy from Hatten Wines. The individual stories of each of the ‘Bali Dining Legends’ will be shared through an online video series, a collaborative production between Hatten Wines and NOW! Bali, with the mission to showcase to the world the passion and effort of these pioneers. Make sure to follow @hattenwines and @nowbalimag for the release of these videos.
The gala dinner closed with a speech from famous Indonesian singer and presenter, Mr. Tantowi Yahya, in his capacity as the Independent Commissioner of PT. Hatten Wines Tbk. Each guest received a special gift box of the new Hatten Rosé, an homage to the first ever bottle produced.
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