Private Wine Clubs In Atlanta | Eater Atlanta

"Opened in Buckhead by professional golfer Christian Ries this January (next to the new Delbar location), the club already has 350 memberships and is heading into a waitlist. Ries, who grew up in Stellenbosch, South Africa, says, "At the end of a game, there are nice bottles of wine being opened up. I started realizing there are a lot of people passionate about this hobby. Golf and wine are synonymous." The wine library totals over 650 bottles and 40 wines by the glass, assembled by wine director and co-founder Elizabeth Dames and lead sommelier Jason Wilfore, and includes vintage grower Champagnes, GG rieslings, and old vine zinfandels. Executive chef Jordan Sanchez (previously at Soho House in Chicago and L.A. Rose Cafe in Los Angeles) runs the menu with dishes like grilled clam toast, seared scallops, sorghum glazed duck breast, and caviar and cornbread with molasses creme fraiche. Membership features include allowing up to four guests a day for each member. Rachel Katz, co-founder and chief brand officer, says, "We want to remove the pretension from the wine world and create a space where people can feel welcome — just the other day a table was drinking two beautiful vintages of Burgundy and they invited the other table to come drink the wine with them. It’s a true community." Ries also reflects, "Funny how wine creates a web of connection. Atlanta is a good place with good entrepreneurship. We’re not really selling wine; we’re selling community." - Henna Bakshi