Not a club, but a fellowship
The Cellar Society is an invitation-only private society founded for those who see wine not merely as a drink, but as part of culture, sharing and friendship.
Founding Membership Charter
THE CELLAR SOCIETY
Wine is not merely a drink. It is culture, sharing and friendship itself. Great wines find their true worth with the right people, the right setting and the right experiences.
Manifesto
What is The Cellar Society?
“Great wines find their true meaning not only in cellars, but with the right people, honest conversation and unforgettable experiences.”
Founding Members
Our purpose
To form Turkey’s most distinguished wine society, to bring together people who share the same passion, to experience the world’s rarest wines together, and to make İnari one of the reference points of wine culture in Turkey.
Quality before quantity
Our society values quality over quantity, experience over display, and a culture of sharing over individual collections.
Deliberately small
Our society is deliberately limited in number. Our aim is not to reach more members, but to build a strong society with the right people — one that lasts for many years.
Experience, not profit
The Cellar Society does not exist for commercial gain; it exists to offer its members the highest possible quality of experience each month.
A shared vision
To join The Cellar Society is not merely to join a club; it is to become part of a shared vision.
Founding Members · İstanbul
Three Principles
The balance that keeps the society standing
Quality
Quality over quantity.
What matters is not how many bottles are on the table, but why each one is there. Every choice is made for a reason.
Experience
Experience over display.
A label is a beginning, not a story. Value gathers in the setting, the conversation and what remains of the evening in memory.
Sharing
Sharing over collecting.
A bottle waiting in the cellar is an investment; a bottle opened is a memory. We collect the latter.
The Monthly Ritual
One night each month, one complete experience
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One Month Before
The Invitation
The theme of the evening, its wines and its guest are decided. The invitation goes to members only, addressed by name.
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Evening · 20.00
The Cellar
Bottles are chosen together and opened together. Why each bottle is on the table is told; no one tastes alone.
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Through the Night
The Table
İnari’s kitchen is built around the evening. The wine does not accompany the table; the table accompanies the wine.
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The Next Day
The Record
Every bottle opened is entered in the society ledger. Over the years, this ledger becomes the shared memory of the society.
“Bottles are chosen together. They are opened together. What is left the next morning is not the wine, but the evening.”
The Cellar · İstanbulİnari
Host of the society
İnari hosts The Cellar Society. The gatherings are held here, the cellar is kept here, the ledger is written here.
As founding members, our aim is to make İnari one of the reference points of wine culture in Turkey — not as a claim about a venue, but through the tables laid, the bottles opened and the conversations shared over the years.
- Corkage waived at İnari restaurants on members’ own bottles, for the duration of their membership.
- A space reserved in the İnari cellar, holding up to ten bottles of a member’s personal collection to begin with.
- Priority access to new menu launches, private tastings and members-only evenings at İnari.
Founding Membership
Not by application, but by invitation
0Gatherings a year
0Cellar, one roof
0Of contributions to experience
0No limit on time
FOUNDING MEMBER
The Cellar Society
- A standing place at the monthly cellar gatherings
- A voice in the themes and the wine selection of each evening
- A permanent entry in the cellar ledger
- Guests by name — three different guests a year
İstanbulMMXXVI
How does one become a member?
One does not apply to The Cellar Society; one is invited. Every candidate is considered on the recommendation of an existing member. The assessment is made not on title or the size of a collection, but on character, a culture of sharing and what the candidate brings to the table.
- ReferralThe recommendation of an existing member.
- MeetingA single evening at İnari, both ways.
- ConsensusThe joint decision of the founding members.
- CharterThe signing of the Founding Membership Charter.
When the seats are taken, the list closes. A new membership opens only when a place is left.
Invitation Request
The door is knocked upon, not forced
Your request has been sealed.
The founding members will review your request. Should it be welcomed, a personal invitation to an evening at İnari will follow.
Frequently Asked
Short answers
How many members are there?
Deliberately limited. Our aim is not to grow, but to build a society that lasts for years with the right people who share the same passion. When the seats are taken, the list closes.
Do I need to be a wine expert?
No. What is sought is not expertise but curiosity and a willingness to share. The best conversation at the table often comes from whoever asks the most questions.
Is the society a commercial venture?
It is not. Our aim is not commercial gain, but to offer members the highest possible quality of experience each month. Contributions return directly to that month’s experience.
Where are the gatherings held?
İnari hosts the society. The cellar is kept there and the table is set there. On certain nights of the year, special gatherings may also be held elsewhere.
May I bring a guest?
Yes — within measure. Each member may invite three different guests over the calendar year, each of them once, subject to capacity. A guest is received as a future member of the society.
“To join The Cellar Society is not merely to join a club; it is to become part of a shared vision.”
Request an Invitation