Winetlk

Has it really been that long?! 25 Years of James Nicholson

Just consider what the wine world was like when young James Nicholson first started business in Northern Ireland 25 years ago. France ruled the roost, Germany offered some interesting Rieslings, Italy was just emerging, and that was just about it. Spain hadn't gotten its' act together, the new world was doing nothing, and Nicholson's public had yet to discover wine, apart from the bourgeois few who constituted the wine-buying cognoscenti back then.

And now, just look at how Nicholson has ridden the roller-coaster world that wine has become in the last two-and-a-half decades. His shop is the smartest wine boutique in the trade, he has won more awards and gongs than any comparable wine merchant, he has toured the globe searching for great winemakers and great wines and he has continually found them, then brought them back to Crossgar and sold their wines with style and wit.

If you haven't been to the shop in Crossgar, then one of the great treats is still in store. And if you aren't familiar with the JN wine list then here is a dream chance: as part of their 25th anniversary celebrations, James Nicholson are holding 2 annual tastings: on Thursday 18th (yep, that's this week) in Dublin Castle from 5.30pm-7.30pm (tickets €12), and on Friday 19th in the Waterfront Hall, Belfast, again from 5.30pm-7.30pm, with tickets at £10stg. Many of the great winemakers who supply the shop will be there - Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon, Patricia Atkinson of Clos d'Yvigne (we just love Clos d'Yvigne); Jurgen Wagner of Capcanes (we just love Capcanes); Thomas Loosen of Dr Loosen (we just… yeah, you get the picture) are just a few of the great grape guys who will be lining up to shake your hand. Don't miss it!

Website: www.jnwine.com

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