Photo by Heidi Harris
Oenophiles rejoice: A new wine-focused social club has opened its doors in Buckhead. Called the Perlant, the members-only club aims to be a third spot (first being home, second being work) for those enthusiastic about wine and community. The club has already sold 300-350 memberships, most of them couples’ memberships.
“A lot of people spend a lot of time and resources traveling to experience the Napa Valley wine country, and we wanted people to feel that way here: warm and comfortable,” says Christian Ries, founder and CEO.
Ries, formerly an entrepreneur in residence at Atlanta Ventures, approached business partner David Cummings with the idea of a third spot rooted in wine. He swiftly got two other co-founders on board: chief brand officer Rachel Katz, a hospitality and marketing veteran and founder of on-demand wine service Starbright Wines; and wine director Elizabeth Dames, formerly of Capital City Club. (Cummings is the lead investor.)
The Perlant (which means “slightly effervescent” in French) occupies 9,900 square feet inside the former Seasons 52 space in Buckhead Plaza. The light and bright space, designed in collaboration with Atlanta-based architecture and design firm ai3, includes a private dining room, wine cellar, wine bar, dining room, living room, library, and patio that will open in the spring. The space is available all day, and members can use it for co-working, dining, meetings, and social events.
Photo by Heidi Harris
The menu by executive chef Jordan Sanchez, formerly of Soho House Chicago and Proper Hotel in Austin, is globally inspired and includes shareables, salads, vegetarian options, and seasonal entrees. Everything is made from scratch, such as the roasted pumpkin agnolotti with taleggio fonduta and chicken jus and the slightly seared scallops with a hazelnut soubise. There are specialty cocktails, spirits, and beer, as well as a robust non-alcoholic program. Booze-free drinks include the Lips Are Sealed, made with Seedlip notas de agave, grapefruit, lime, and club soda. Food and beverages are a la carte and not included in a member’s fees (which are not publicly disclosed).
The 2,400 bottles under Dames’s care are exciting, such as the 2023 Weingut Keller Dalsheimer Hubacker Riesling Grosses Gewachs, a bottle Dames has been trying to get for five years. She’s also excited to have Domaine Roulot’s rare 2022 Meursault by the glass. In addition, she will highlight Spain’s northern region with bottles like Dominio de Pingus ‘Psi’ 2021. Full of sunburst red and black fruit, it’s laced with cinnamon and vanilla from aged new-oak barrels. A black rock minerality gives it balance. “The Perlant wine program is a living and breathing thing, evolving with new discoveries, so that there is always something new for members to explore, no matter how often they visit,” Dames says.
“Our goal is to have the best wine cellar in the city in the next three to five years,” Ries adds.
Photo by Heidi Harris
Ries stresses the importance of gatekeeping the application-only club, but not for reasons you might think: “We wanted to think about hospitality differently. Our cultural values and the core of our community are humility, generosity, and kindness,” he says. Potential members must exhibit all three to get an invitation for an interview. Ries explicitly says status, especially based on work, is not considered. “We don’t care what you do for a living,” he says. “We want to know if we can have a glass of wine together and if you’re an interesting person to talk to. Life’s too short.”
Ries and the team plan for the Perlant to be in every major city in America outside California, opening five more locations in the next five years.
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