Just above Matt Manning’s Culture Wine Bar is the Wine Library, a members' club and a lounge like no other.
Featuring interiors by Stokperd – the same designer responsible for Manning’s other establishments; Culture, Grub & Vine, the Blue Room and the Chef’s Studio – the Wine Library is beautifully kitted out in shades of rust that are in harmony with, yet distinct from, the wine bar; with African accents evident in the furniture and artwork. A private bar features near the stairwell, long tables are available for working and cosy lounge pockets are scattered throughout the area, but it’s the Wine Archives – the brand new, custom-built, walk-in cellar – that is the star of the space.
“With the addition of the new cellar, our members will now be able to share their most-loved and extraordinary wines with like-minded people.”
Manning says that membership options and benefits were carefully designed to meet the unique requirements of members, who consist primarily of city professionals, wine trade individuals and collectives, as well as those who are simply passionate about wine.
Explains Manning, “While we are not the first establishment to offer a members’ club, I wanted to create a space that was based on what our different customer groups want – offering them something out of the ordinary that would add real value to their lives, with community at its heart.”
So that’s what he did. The Wine Library offers four distinct membership tiers: Novel, Trade Edition, Trade Collection and Grand Cru.
'Novel’ is aimed at the entrepreneur or working professional, offering this member a fully-serviced co-working space with fibre and a food & beverage menu, as well as a complimentary case of mixed wines each month, handpicked by Culture’s sommeliers.
‘Trade Edition’ and ‘Trade Collection’ are aimed at those who work in the wine industry. A key benefit of trade membership is access to the ‘Wine Archives’ – the state-of-the-art cellar housed in the members’ lounge that features purpose-built air-conditioning to ensure optimal preservation and enjoyment conditions. Members can store up to 48 bottles each, which they can access on-site for tastings and consumption.
Trade members can list wines on the ‘Wine Archives’ menu, which are available for Culture-goers to order at the bar. They also receive complimentary access to the lounge (which doubles as a tasting venue) to host inner-city tastings and events for their stakeholders.
‘Grand Cru’ is the Wine Library’s premium membership option; aimed at the wine connoisseur who wants to celebrate their love of wine among like-minded people. Benefits include a storage allocation in the Wine Archives, which can be accessed and enjoyed in either the members’ lounge or bar; an exclusive invitation to Culture’s quarterly Grand Cru dinner – a 5-course food-and-wine paired experience hosted by Manning himself in the Wine Library; as well as a complimentary seat each month to ‘Culture Club’, the bar’s specialised tasting event series.
Manning explains that all members benefit from a loyalty card which offers them a 10% discount on food and beverages at Culture Wine Bar.
He adds, “Since the very beginning, Culture has been about bringing people together; united in a shared love of wine culture. We are excited to expand on Culture’s value proposition, offering a unique space that has been designed with our patron at the heart.”
For more information on Wine Library membership, please visit https://www.culturewinebar.com/wine-library/