An exclusive social club plans to open on Baylen Street downtown in June.

Members will pay $175 a month to join the Establishment 1898 and receive access to amenities.

Non members must pay a $100 cover charge at the door for each entry.

The Establishment hosts a wine tasting competition Friday to benefit the Gulf Coast Kid's House.

An exclusive, membership-based social club opening soon in downtown Pensacola will warm up to the community first by hosting a wine tasting event for charity this Friday.

The opulent Establishment 1898 is preparing for an early to mid-June opening at 201 S. Baylen St. The club is accepting applications for black card members, who will pay $175 a month. Non-members pay a $100 cover charge for each entry.

Once inside, members and non-members alike have access to the 2,100-square-foot club and courtyard and competitive per-glass prices on rare and high-end wines and spirits.

"Pensacola is in need of refinement," said Wellie Liao, Establishment 1898 general manager and wine director. "I've lived in larger cities. I did Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Miami. I've gotten to see some really big players in the bar industry, wine industry and restaurants in general, the Michelin stars. And I think it's time for some refinement to be had here. The palettes are changing."

Before the club opens, Liao is hosting a wine tasting event called the "Judgment of Pensacola." The name is an homage to the revolutionary 1976 Judgment of Paris international wine competition that brought massive notoriety to Californian wines and globalized the industry in general.

Friday's event falls on the 43rd anniversary of the storied blind wine tasting competition and costs $95, plus tax, to attend. A slew of local distributors will compete against each other, choosing one chardonnay, one pinot noir and one cabernet sauvignon from their selection to be blindly tasted by local and regional judges.

Read more:Gulf Coast Kid's House gets helping hand with new property

Attendees will get to try the wines alongside the judges, rank their favorites and enjoy charcuterie boards provided by Global Grill.

A bottle of each wine showcased in the competition will be auctioned off after the tasting, and 100% of those proceeds will go to the Gulf Coast Kid's House to fight child abuse in Escambia County.

"I have four kids, so as a mom, it really hits home to hear all these stories in the news," said Liao, an Orlando native. "It's a major thing that not enough people talk about, so, it's important to me as a mother to spread awareness and make a difference."

Liao says tickets to the event are limited, as only about 20 remain. They can be purchased by messaging the Facebook pages of either the Judgment of Pensacola or the Establishment, by emailing management at info@theestablishment1898.com or by calling the business at 850-912-8741. Liao added that a few should still be available at the door.

How Establishment 1898 will operate

A wall of pay-as-you-go, self-serve taps featuring high-end wines, whiskeys and cognacs rest against the western wall of the intimate social space, which is only waiting on furniture delivery before opening up to the public and its members. The new venture is owned by Stephen Simpson.

Members will be granted a monthly renewable $50 "use it or lose it" credit. That credit could theoretically knock down the price for a taste of Rémy Martin's Louis the XIII Grande Champagne Cognac. Normally $63 per glass, the full use of the credit means the exquisite French cognac can be had for $13.

"All of our products are much cheaper than you would find anywhere else," Liao said. "I have not seen (Louis the XIII) lower than $75 for half an ounce anywhere, so I'm running it at $63 for 0.5 ounces. You can get a glass of wine here for $4 or $5 and then you obviously go up for some of the big boys. But, all of my margins are lower than everyone else's in town."

Also new downtown: Downtown Pensacola Cactus Cantina opens Wednesday in former Beef 'O' Brady's building

The Establishment's seven board members review and approve black card applicants. In the business' first month of operation, the first 50 members will be accepted. Those 50 can then recruit new members until the Establishment reaches its maximum of 350.

Spouses are included with the memberships, said Liao, who likened the new venture to the Citrus Club in Orlando.

The "use it or lose it" credit can also apply to the amenities the Establishment offers, like its black card concierge service.

"So, say you want a tee time and you want us to arrange it for you, we'll do that," Liao said. "We'll cater for you, if you need travel plans set up we can do that. We have a packaging license, so if you want to buy a barrel you can buy a barrel. Any allocated wines I can get for you."

The Establishment will be open daily from 4 p.m. until 1 a.m., but black card members have access to the Establishment at all times.

"If you have a red eye that comes in and you don't have your room yet, or you need a place to get some work done early in the morning, members can always get in," Liao added.

With years of experience, Liao said she aspires to bring something to Pensacola the city has never seen before, from the exclusivity of the club to what she believes is an unparalleled selection of products.

"I'm hoping to bring on wines that people have never seen before, things they would never normally try, that other places are too scared to bring on because they don't want to change," she said. "Pensacola has stayed stagnant for a long time, even with all the new businesses. All the new businesses are very similar to the others. I'm hoping to bring a fresh aspect with a historical feel."

Jake Newby can be reached at jnewby@pnj.com or 850-435-8538.