THE Union Bank will launch a specialist wine store on August 1 which will offer locals the chance to savour a variety of wines sourced from all over the world.

The Union Bank’s new managing director Nic Butler, hopes the Sale Street Wine Store, on the same site as the wine bar, will become a “regional hub for winemakers” where they can gather and talk over a good meal and a glass of wine.

“We hope to get wine makers together because we’ve noticed that wine people don’t talk,” said Mr Butler.

In order to facilitate that, an industry get-together will be held on the second Wednesday of every month and during Orange’s Wine Week there will be tastings every evening.

Wine expert Peter Bourne is also a partner in the venture and he will be intimately involved in the wine selection, tasting and education components of the business.

“We will be able to offer customers wine which hasn’t been available in Orange before; we don’t want to stock mainstream wine.”

Apart from an extensive range of local wines, there will also be a large selection of fine wines such as vintage Grange.

“We feel that Orange is an educated wine market. There aren’t many ‘cheap’ local wines and we certainly won’t stock any cask wine.”

In fact as the store only has a vigneron’s licence, it will only stock wine.

In keeping with the building’s heritage listing, the Wine Store will feature floating wooden floors, cedar racking and a large wooden tasting table.

The fit out was completed by Canberra-based Wine Cellar Designs.

Future plans for developing the site include an expansion of the kitchen and dining areas and the launch of a website.