What can a private members' club teach us about the future of fine wine?
The origins of private members' clubs in the UK are deeply tied to the emergence of modern urban elite culture in 19th-century London. Britain's political and commercial elite wanted somewhere to build trust, exchange ideas and strengthen relationships away from public view. Informal circles gradually became formal memberships.
Today, private members' clubs continue to evolve. While politics has largely given way to business, culture and leisure, they still perform the same fundamental role: creating trusted communities around shared interests. Few illustrate that evolution more clearly than 67 Pall Mall.
In this episode, Pauline Vicard speaks with Grant Ashton, founder and CEO of 67 Pall Mall, about how a club that began almost by accident grew into one of the world's largest international fine wine communities, with locations across Europe and Asia.
Together, they explore what private members' clubs reveal about changing patterns of work, community and consumption; why fine wine has become increasingly inaccessible; how younger consumers engage with the category; and what happens when a distinctly British institution is transplanted into cities such as Singapore, Shanghai and Bordeaux.
The result is a conversation that uses the private members' club not simply as a business model, but as a lens through which to examine some of the structural challenges—and opportunities—shaping the future of fine wine.
In this episode
- Why 67 Pall Mall exists — and why it was never supposed to be a members' club.
- What private members' clubs actually do
- How the concept adapts across different cultures and cities.
- Why pricing has become one of fine wine's greatest structural challenges.
- What membership organisations understand about customer relationships that much of the wine trade still does not.
About the guest
Grant Ashton is the founder and CEO of 67 Pall Mall, a private members' club dedicated to fine wine. A former investment banker, he established the first club in London in 2015 before expanding the concept internationally, with locations in Singapore, Hong Kong, Verbier, Bordeaux, Shanghai and Melbourne, alongside further developments in progress. Today, 67 Pall Mall has more than 11,000 members worldwide and has become one of the largest communities of fine wine enthusiasts globally.
About Areni Global
Areni Global is an independent think tank dedicated to the future of fine wine. Headquartered in London, its mission is to help the fine wine sector understand and respond to the profound economic, cultural and societal changes reshaping the world around it.
Through independent research, strategic reports, podcasts and industry events, Areni brings together producers, merchants, distributors, collectors and experts from across disciplines to explore the questions that will define the next generation of fine wine.
To learn more about Areni's work, subscribe to the newsletter or become a member, visit www.areni.global.
