Our History
Nearly 50 years ago, our founder, John Earle Jacobs found himself on the rugby fields of Bordeaux, proudly donning the jersey of ‘Les Damiers’, now famously known as Bordeaux-Bègles. After hanging up his rugby boots, John's passion for French wines led him on a journey of discovery. Upon returning to North Yorkshire, with a host of his favourite wines in his suitcase an idea was born, and as they say… the rest is history.
Five decades after immersing himself in the wine industry, John is still widely recognised as an authority on wine. He was ‘intronised’ into the world-famous La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin in 1999. He is one of 12,000 knights or Chevaliers across the globe who promote the region and the wine of Burgundy.
Today, Earle Wines continues to be one of the UK’s top independent wine merchants, supplying wines directly from the vineyards to customers across the UK and the Channel Islands.
The business is a growing family affair with John’s daughter, Anna overseeing the marketing and business development with the mission to continue her father’s vision of being ‘no ordinary wine merchant’.
