“After nearly 40 years in the wine business, it’s the story behind the label that keeps me going,” says John Earle Jacobs, founder of Earle Wines.

For over three decades, Earle Wines has been more than just a wine merchant. It’s a curator of stories, each bottle representing a tale of tradition, passion and craftmanship.

From the vineyards of Bordeaux to organic family-run wineries in Sonoma County and hidden gems in New Zealand, Earle Wines has always prioritised quality, offering wines that can’t be found on the shelves of mass-market retailers.

John’s journey began as a young rugby player in Bordeaux, where a love for the region and French culture turned into a lifelong passion for wine. After hanging up his boots, he wanted to promote the wineries and vineyards in the area.

“It’s the story behind the label which is so important,” he says. Working with smaller wineries, he sees firsthand the challenges they face. “The winemakers, the vineyards have a very tough time due to weather conditions, the cost of raw materials. So I’m very much on the ground and listen to their stories.”

From there, he markets and sells these boutique wines to customers. They come to him, he says, because they’re interested in a particular bottle or winery, or simply want the personalised recommendations you can’t get from a major retailer.

“It’s very much a word-of-mouth business. Anyone can go into big wine shops, and they cut prices, but if they wanted a more personal, interesting relationship, the story of the producer… It’s not just a bottle of wine, I can tell the story of who the family are. And I’ve introduced my customers to these winemakers, and when they travel to France, they visit them.”

Over the years, John began discovering other wine producers around the world. What started in Bordeaux soon expanded to include Argentina, the US, New Zealand, Spain and Australia.

Running a small, independent wine business comes with its share of challenges and, with an increasingly globalised world, these have only intensified. “New World wines are difficult, I find, because of the logistics. It’s very expensive.

“And since Brexit… it has caused much more paperwork and bureaucracy. If you don’t get that right, it is terrible.”

He recounts the story of a customer in Majorca, who he sent some French and English wines to. “They impounded it. They would not allow wines, even though they were European wines, from the UK and it had to be returned.”

John relies on the logistics companies that he partners with to take care of international haulage and paperwork. In a role where relationships are paramount, John values partners who understand and respect his business philosophy.

That’s how he came across WorldFirst over a decade ago – by supplying wine to founder and then-CEO Jonathan Quin. He’s used WorldFirst ever since to take care of his foreign transactions in a transparent way. “In terms of the exchange rates, I trust you.”

For John, it’s not just about the service but how it’s provided. “I like to speak to somebody,” he says.

He uses the World Account to send payments to his suppliers globally. What he most appreciates is the personalised service. “I’m very old-fashioned… If I don’t have a personal touch, it would lose all credence for me.”

Since the beginning, John has valued the ability to contact a dedicated account manager whenever he needs. This has allowed him to focus on the business and what he does best – curating exceptional wines and sharing them with customers.

It’s clear that Earle Wines is about more than just selling bottles. In 1999, John was recognised by the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, joining a global community of 12,000 knights who champion Burgundy’s wines.

Today, Earle Wines remains one of the UK’s leading independent wine merchants, delivering wines straight from the vineyards to customers across the UK and Channel Islands, as well as selected hotels and venues.

Being a business that relies on connection and personal relationships means that finding a successor is a challenge. “Keeping it going and finding people to carry on the tradition of what I do is not easy,” he says.

The connections he’s built with winemakers and customers are difficult to replicate. However, as a family-run business, the legacy of Earle Wines is set to continue.

The deep relationships with winemakers and the passion for sharing the stories behind Burgundy’s wines will remain at the heart of the business, ensuring these stories will continue to be told, one sip at a time.