Augusta Wine Company, a shop unlike any other?
Ok, let's say you set out to create a blog about the intersection of golf and wine. Can you imagine meeting someone more interesting than the former sommelier of Augusta National Golf Club, who has presided over the Champions Dinner at 14 consecutive Masters?
To be honest, I don't think I can. But Jason Jones has just established his own wine retail and consulting business in Augusta, and if you, your company, or anyone else you know is going to the Masters next April, he's ready to help create a wine experience for you as unforgettable as the Tournament itself.
Jason Jones putting in the work at Augusta Wine Company
A Certified Sommelier, Jason's Augusta Wine Company is based on the deep traditions of education, curation, and service he honed during his time at Augusta National and then for several years later as the beverage director at renowned Greenville Country Club in South Carolina. But his interest in wine began about a decade earlier when he got a job at Sullivan's Steakhouse in Raleigh, NC. The quality of the list and on-the-job training opened his eyes to the magic and mystery of wine: "I learned that it was more than just fermented grape juice. Wine is history, culture, geography, geology, and a way of life to many." Being somewhat competitive by nature, Jason quickly realized he wanted to "be the guy" customers relied on for answers to their wine questions and undertook a rigorous study program on his own.
His formal training came when after working the Masters for two years, he was hired by Augusta National in 2011 as an Assistant Sommelier with the understanding he would pursue professional certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers, which he duly completed. It was a path he may have never envisioned, but as he says now, "wine found me, I am a very fortunate and appreciative individual for that."
The Augusta Wine Company retail store features an ever-growing selection of hand-picked bottles from around the world at competitive prices, all of which Jason personally sources and tastes. But the heart of his offer is establishing a 1:1 relationship with a relatively small group of lucky clients through his wine locker program.
You enter the Augusta Wine Company through one of two doors, the first leading to the retail store and the second to a room with 99 private lockers that clients can access through a keypad. The lockers, which are available to rent short or long-term, can accommodate anywhere from 30 to 300 bottles. Jason works directly with his locker customers to understand their preferences and palates and then finds the best wines available in the market to meet their goals, stocking the lockers and notifying clients as soon as the wines arrive. Especially when preparing for the Masters, longer lead times can be a real advantage in enabling him to work with his distribution network and obtain limited, sought-after releases from top producers, only a trickle of which might otherwise reach a small market like Augusta.
This locker could be yours at the next Masters
While Jason expects most of his business to be local, he obviously has extensive experience serving the wine needs of the corporate and hospitality tent side of major tournament golf and can plan and just as easily fill a locker for your rental home during Masters week. His sincerity is evident when he talks about the value and importance of deep, long-term client relationships, something no conventional retail store or disembodied wine club can easily match.
The services Jason offers all wrap around this notion of intensely personalized curation. As mentioned, the carefully stocked retail store is just the jumping off point. He can also provide authoritative advice on any of the following and more:
Getting started with building a wine collection
Organizing a cellar, including digitizing inventory and confirming drinking windows
Conducting private tastings and other wine-oriented events at the venue of your choice
So step back for a minute and think about it. If you're going to be in Augusta for The Masters, why would you talk to anyone else about your wine needs? And don't let the reputation of Augusta National scare you into thinking what Jason offers is inaccessible to all but the fortunate few. He is happy to work with any customer's budget, and as he told me, “The only thing high end about this business is the service." That's all I need to hear. The next time I visit Augusta, I'm all in on my private Champions Dinner!
