About Us

In 2022, James Nicholson celebrated 45 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 30 times since 1988.

James Nicholson has been part of the wine scene in Northern Ireland for over 45 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!

What we do

We sell wine to the public and to businesses. We supply wines to hundreds of restaurants, bars and hotels all over the island of Ireland.

If you’re in the trade and want to get in touch: info@jnwine.com

Our private customers come to visit our strikingly modern shop in Crossgar from all over Ireland whether for a single bottle to give as a gift, wines for a wedding or party, or a bottle to relax over at the end of a busy week. If a visit to Crossgar is not your thing, you can reach us by phone, by visiting our website or even by the good old fashioned postal service.

Should you find yourself ordering a case of wine from us, our lovely team of friendly drivers travel the length and breadth of NI in our smart vans every week and will deliver the wines to your door free of charge. Good sense dictates that we entrust your precious cargo to couriers if you live in ROI or GB.

Whether you are looking for a gift, a recommendation for a wine to go with a meal, wines to invest in or some help in expanding your wine drinking horizons we are here to help you find something suitable for your palate and your purse. On Saturdays you will always find a bottle of something open to try in our tasting room and we run tasting evenings and courses throughout the year for a whole host of reasons, but mostly because we love it and we know you do too. Keep an eye on our events page to see what’s coming up.

We love what we do and take great pride in our work. A few people have noticed us and think we do things rather well. Over the years we have picked up a few trinkets and trophies for our hard work as well as some complimentary comments from those in the know. We are proud to have won the International Wine Challenge Regional Wine Merchant of the year award 30 times since 1988.