The Perlant cofounder Christian Ries is changing how Atlantans experience wine!
When Buckhead entrepreneur Christian Ries asked his “mum” what kind of career he was best suited for, she didn’t have to think long. “Easy! A winemaker,” Ries recalls her saying.
Born in South Africa, Ries moved to Georgia in 2002 for a Columbus State University golf scholarship. He played professionally for five years until an injury forced a career change. He joined the business world in Atlanta, cofounding Zeto Home management company and Intown Golf Club with Atlanta Tech Village’s David Cummings. In January, the duo launched their latest project: a 10,000-square-foot private social club rooted in wine. Christened The Perlant and located in Buckhead, it is designed to build community through hospitality.
“Perlant is the effervescence in wine,” Ries says. “I grew up in the wine farms. My grandfather was a collector, and my dad taught me to respect wine. I’m passionate about wine, community and bringing people together. I got my sommelier certification in 2023.”
What is the purpose of The Perlant?
We want to bring the feeling of the wine country to Atlanta. Good wine is meant to be shared. Our pillars are humility, generosity and kindness. Our customers want to be around a good community, and they want to learn. Very often, people offer other members a sip of their wine, so their horizons grow. That’s the beauty of wine: You never stop learning.
Tell me about the wine on offer.
We serve 40 wines by the glass. We’re going for breadth over depth, with a focus on fun. We have just under 700 bottles right now. You can find something from almost anywhere in the world. We have New World representation with wine from Washington, Oregon, Napa and Sonoma, and Old World representation from France, Italy, Spain, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far.
What’s your favorite wine served?
Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It’s made with the Grenache grape. I didn’t really know about it before, but I love it. It pairs well with good food. At first, I thought I just liked Napa cabs. Wine director Elizabeth Dames has taken me on a journey to other wines of the world.
What kind of programming do you offer?
We host a Bottle Share quarterly. We create a theme, such as “celebration,” and everyone brings a bottle of wine. They put it in the middle of the table and share it. The most amazing friendships and conversations have resulted. We’re taking our members to Bordeaux in July. I’m very excited to learn.
The Perlant opens at 9 a.m. for coffee, meetings and laptop work. We have a full restaurant serving lunch and dinner, plus a library and socializing space. Every other Wednesday, we host Come Sip with Us where we pour four wines from a specific region for a tasting.
What do you have planned for the future?
The goal is to have the best wine cellar in Atlanta in the next three to five years. We have space for 10,000 bottles. We have a big vision: We want to open five more locations in the next five years.
What do you do on your time off?
I’m a single dad to two boys: Daniel is 10, and Jude is 8. I’m hands-on and take fatherhood seriously. We’re in sports season right now, so we spend a lot of time on soccer and lacrosse fields. We love to travel. The boys have been with me to wine country. In Stellenbosch, South Africa, on the wine farms, they have playgrounds. We go once a year.
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