A change in the wine market has led to a new hospitality venture between Perth’s sole master of wine and an events veteran, focusing on the CBD office traffic.
A change in the wine market has led to a new hospitality venture between Perth’s sole master of wine and an events veteran, focusing on the CBD office traffic.
Tucked away in Wesley Quarter in the shadows behind the church, Enoteca Centro will be opening its doors today.
The “wine library” is the brainchild of Event Alliance International managing director Peter Kay and wife Tanya, with psychiatrist and master of wine Brendan Jansen recruited for the project.
Enoteca Centro is backed by GlenForest Corporate John Groppoli, who is a director of the company, and commercial designer Nick O’Hara and signage business owner Rob Kelly, who are shareholders.
The venue is set to be the go-to location in the Perth CBD for wine tasting from its list of more than 130 bottles, on top of potential courses, masterclass and other wine-focused events.
Mr Jansen said the market has matured with more young people wanting to learn about wine.
“They want to know more about how the wine was made and what the story behind it is,” he said.
“We do so much more traveling these days, notwithstanding the COVID years, and there is an appetite for learning.
“It's that curiosity and that willingness to step out of the comfort zone. I think that's been a major change.”
Peter Kay (left) and Brendan Jansen at Enoteca Centro in the CBD. Photo: Michael O'Brien
Mr Kay said Enoteca Centro has occupied the laneway space that had been closed off for about three years, formerly the Painted Bird.
The property, which is part of Wesley Quarter, is partly owned by the Uniting Church and is managed by Lease Equity.
“They [the church] have the venue, the premises, and they had a license. I had the concept,” Mr Kay told Business News.
“We negotiated over many months and agreed on a long-term lease deal, which we're really happy about.
“We haven't changed any of the space structurally but clearly, what we've done is we've converted it into, what we're saying is, more than a wine bar.
“We're well aware that our market is predominantly the office management workers in the city, which is why we're only trading to the public from Monday to Friday because on the weekend, the market flips.
“To rely on tourists and shoppers is problematic.”
Wesley Quarter has been flagged as a premium shopping and retail destination but two luxury retailers, Burberry and Armani, closed in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Recent leasing deals in Wesley Quarter have boosted the asset’s luxury identity again, with Christian Dior proposed to open its first WA boutique in late 2024.
Wesley Quarter also houses Chanel, Tiffany & Co, Louis Vuitton and Tag Heuer.
Master of Wine
There are 414 masters of wine across 31 countries, with 502 people having passed the exam since 1953.
Mr Jansen said he is the only master of wine in the Perth metropolitan area, but he was not the first Western Australian to receive the certification.
It took 10 years for Mr Jansen to acquire his Master of Wine qualification.
“The idea was to create a qualification process, like a peak qualification in the wine trade,” he said.
“If you pass the practical exam and the theory exam, then you go on to the dissertation or a research paper.
“I passed the theory, the tasting exam, which was my biggest hurdle, in 2016 and passed the research paper in 2018. So I got my interview in 2019.”
“Our superpower is being able to understand the production of wine; how it sounds, produced, to how vines are growing.
“We're able to discern from the class style whether it's typical for its type, have a stab at how old it is, have a stab at where it's from and what the variety is.
“My vision for that was to highlight to the Perth population, you don't have to pay through the nose to drink well.”
