JN Wine’s retail outlets in Crossgar and London win top billing at prestigious Decanter Retailer Awards 2023
Leading wine retailer JN Wine is raising a special toast to new sparkling success after clinching two top awards at the UK wine industry’s annual retail excellence awards organised by global wine brand Decanter.
JN Wine, one of the best-known independent wine merchants, supplies many of the top hotels, restaurants and wine shops throughout the island of Ireland.
The 46 year-old business which employs more than 40 staff and has outlets in Crossgar in County Down and in Highbury, London, was this year acknowledged as best regional wine retailer in Northern Ireland – as well as in the UK capital – at the Decanter Retailer Awards 2023, securing top gongs in a shortlist containing some of the UK’s best-known retail wine specialists.
Awarding its Crossgar wine retail outlet number one in Northern Ireland, judges noted JN Wine’s ‘excellent service, wide range of wines along with an efficient operation that made it a worthy winner’.
The company’s London outlet, Highbury Vintners, picked up the award for Best Regional Wine Shop in London, with one judge saying: “Highbury Vintners is exactly what you want from your neighbourhood wine merchant, offering a great range with a very proactive, educated staff – what every high street should have.”
The Highbury store was also named runner up in the Decanter Awards ‘Spain Specialist Retailer of the Year’ category.
Founded in 1975 and based in London, Decanter is the world’s leading wine media brand and is the oldest and most prestigious consumer wine publication in the UK.
From the best neighbourhood wine shops to national retailers, in-store and online, the awards offer wine drinkers an indispensable guide to outstanding retail experiences across the nation.
The two top Decanter award wins come hot on the heels of JN Wine’s 29th consecutive win at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) in May which saw the Co Down team pick up the title of Regional Retailer of the Year for Northern Ireland 2023. Highbury Vintners was also named Best Regional Retailer in London.
Founder James Nicholson said: “We’re over the moon with our recent award successes. They reflect the strength of the team and our consistent dedication to delivering expertise, excellent service and a wide and expanding range of carefully selected, quality wines to our customers.
“Each and every member of the team plays a key role in our collective success and I’d like to thank them for embracing our ethos of constant improvement in delivering for our growing base of loyal customers at home and in businesses across the UK and Ireland.”
JN Wine, which was founded in 1977, specialises in quality wines sourced from family and artisan wineries around the world, and remains committed to a long-standing focus on sourcing sustainable and organically certified wines.
As well as supplying restaurants and hotels across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the UK, JN Wine also provides a home delivery service for wine lovers through its website – HERE
About JN Wine
In 2017, James Nicholson celebrated 40 years in the business. Wine lovers far and wide trust James’s knowledge, passion and dedication to bring them the best the world has to offer. James’s respect throughout the wine industry is renowned, having won the International Wine Challenge Regional Merchant of the Year an astonishing 29 times since 1988. Look out for loads of great events and special offers in 2021.
James Nicholson has been part of the wine scene in Northern Ireland for over 40 years. Starting out in the restaurant trade, James’ keen interest in wine, combined with an independent spirit, set him on the path which gradually evolved into the JN Wine you see today.
The wholesale side of the business came first. James was doing what no one else in Ireland was doing at the time; going out to the vineyards and sourcing his own products, only purchasing wines he tasted and felt he could stand over. It’s a liberating way to do business, but with great freedom comes great responsibility – there is no one to hide behind. James still spends a lot of time visiting vineyards, developing decades long relationships with some of his longest standing suppliers while sourcing new talent and exciting products.
He’s been in Bordeaux every spring since 1982 for the en primeur campaign too. The selection of wines you will find in our portfolio is a reflection of the winegrowing world as it is today – each bottle selected by hand and carrying the James Nicholson seal of approval. These days our premises look a lot smarter and the team has grown, but the ethos remains exactly the same.
We travel. We taste. We sip. We deliberate. And then we buy for your drinking pleasure.
Because we are independent and nippy, we can bring in small parcels of really interesting wines you won’t see anywhere else. Each member of the team is a professionally trained, educated, passionate wine drinker and we are here to help in whatever way we can.
No gimmicks, no fuss, just good quality, enjoyable wines!
