Wade Bales first wine venture was in 1992 when he established a wine exporting company. In 1994 he sold his business to the Wine-of-the-Month Club which he joined as managing director. Three years later he founded The Wine Society in association with Diners Club.
Today, the Wade Bales Wine Society has over 10 000 private clients.
Background
1992
Wade Bales establishes a wine export company based in Cape Town, South Africa.
1993
The wine export company is taken over by SA’s biggest mail order company.
1994 -1997
Wade Bales joins Wine-of-the-Month Club as Managing Director.
1997
The Wine Society is founded in partnership with Diners Club International and builds up a membership base of over 10 000 private clients between 1997 and 2006.
1999
Launches first own label range consisting of
- Bales’ Choice
- Bales’ Private Vintners
- Bales’ Flagship
2005
Publishes first Top Billing Food and Restaurant Guide.
2006
The Wine Society’s name changes and is relaunched as The Wade Bales Wine Society, South Africa’s premier and most exclusive specialist wine service provider and direct marketer of wine.
2006
Wade Bales accepted into the Brotherhood of St Vincent, an annual award bestowed by Villiera in recognition of outstanding contributions to the wine industry.
Products and Services
The Wade Bales Wine Society invites wine lovers to take a journey of discovery through the Cape Winelands, savouring undiscovered gems sourced from the east coast near George through the remote vineyards of the Cedarberg to the furthest vineyards up the West Coast bordering the Namibian border.
As a winelover you can enjoy our wines in a variety of ways:
- Wine club membership
Join the Wade Bales Wine Society as a member and enjoy the pleasure and convenience of having an exclusive selection of 12 premier wines delivered to your door every two months. It is a guaranteed way of broadening your knowledge of the best wines available, while building up a rare and desirable private collection.
- Wine Consultants
Our professional team of Wine Consultants offers clients a tailor made service, sourcing and supplying them with top quality wines. You can order the wines you want from one of our expert wine consultants who will also contact you with exclusive offers of limited release wines. Our wine consultants are always available to advise and guide you in making your selection.
- Diners Club Wine Society
The Diners Club Wine Society is an exclusive wine club, managed by Wade Bales. Only Diners Club International cardholders are eligible for Membership.
- Bales Wine Brands
The Bales label wines are a direct result of the close relationships Wade has established with the Cape’s top winemakers. These are collaborations in the true sense of the word, where Wade and the winemasters work together to select, blend and bottle exceptional wines exclusively available at the Wade Bales Wine Society.
Bales’ Flagship
The pride of our own label wines. Only top of the tier wines are bottled under the Bales’ Flagship label. These are rare
treasures, again in collaboration with the Cape’s leading wine producers and estates. In most instances, fewer than 100
cases are produced. These are collectors’ items.
Bales’ Private Vintners
The Bales’ Private Vintners label is the result of collaboration between Wade and the Cape’s leading winemakers, like
Mike Dobrovic of Mulderbosch, Miles Mossop of Tokara, Jeff Grier of Villiera, Gyles Webb of Thelema and more. These
limited release wines from the Cape’s leading estates all represent exceptional value and taste at mouth-watering prices.
Bales’ Choice
To complement his two premium brands, Bales’ Choice offers select yet unpretentious and easy-drinking red and white
blends that can be enjoyed every day and offer excellent value for money and reflect a typically South African lifestyle.
Other Wine Ranges
We also offer branded wines from the Cape’s top estates and wineries, Offers change over time, depending on
availability. These are not available online. Please call 021 7942151 for the latest offers.
- Warehouse sales
Seasonally the Wade Bales Wine Society hosts warehouse clearance sales at its headquarters in the Constantia Valley. These events are always popular and the specials of the day, which are available on a first come first serve basis, represent tremendous value. Regular customers of the Wine Society can be notified in advance by providing their contact details to 021 794 2151.
Our Partners - discussThe Wade Bales Wine Society is committed to working in partnership with leading corporate organizations to offer unique and customized wine services to their clients.
Diners Club InternationalWade Bales is responsible for managing the Diners Club Wine Society on behalf of Diners Club International.
Standard Private BankWe are proud to be involved in providing a private wine service to Standard Bank Private Banking clients.
FNB Ebucks Programme
A partnership programme is run in conjunction with the Ebucks loyalty programme.