Rugby Union star opens wine shop in Newcastle.
All rugby union fans in the region, especially followers of the Newcastle Falcons and Scotland, will know the name of Jon Welsh.
After spending seven years with the Glasgow Warriors, Jon joined the Falcons in 2015 and racked-up over a hundred performances in a four year spell.
During his time in Newcastle he continued to win Scotland caps, but it was injury, time and bad luck which eventually caught up with Jon.
He ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at the start of the 2019-20 season which meant he had to stop playing for twelve months although he did manage to rejoin the Falcons in January 2021 on a short term contract.
At the end of that season he was ready to resume full time playing and was about to join Gloucester…but then COVID arrived and rugby union, like all sport, came to a halt.
And at this point, Jon decided to call it a day and concentrate on another of his passions.
Wine.
Before he started playing rugby union, Jon was an electrician. He was also very close to being a professional boxer, but it was rugby which finally won him over.
But how on Earth did his passion for wine develop?
“I suspect most people know that after a rugby match there is a tendency for the players to head for the bar,” smiles Jon. “It was during my time in Scotland where I discovered how much I enjoyed a glass of wine. I was also fortunate in that I’d made some excellent friends and contacts via rugby, some of whom were involved either in wine or the hospitality industry.
One of them worked for a wine merchant in Scotland called Luvians… they’re based in Cupar and St. Andrews…and I was shown that wine wasn’t just about drinking it, it was also about the experience.
Since those early days I’ve become more and more fascinated by wine…the flavours and varieties…and love trying something new from various countries.
Consequently, when I finally retired from playing rugby, I decided to open a wine shop. That was on the 12th November 2021, and I’ve loved every minute of it. I even managed to time the opening of the shop with the arrival of the 2021 Beaujolais. I’m still in touch with my friends at Luvians and they continue to point me in the direction of new wines.”
Jon is the proud owner of the Jesmond Wine Company situated on Clayton Road. You’ll find a huge selection of wines and spirits… some you’ll recognise…many you won’t have heard of but are well worth trying. In fact, if you keep a close eye on the Jesmond Wine Company social media outlets, you’ll see that Jon arranges regular tasting sessions. He frequently has wine and spirits experts attending the shop who can give visitors advice and a chance to try a tipple of something which may tickle their taste buds.
“The response, especially from the local community, has been fabulous,” adds Jon. “I have a steady stream of regular visitors coming to the shop. I’m also pleasantly surprised by how far some people are prepared to travel. We love meeting new people and especially enjoy it when they try something different. I’m delighted to say that a lot of folk leave with a single bottle but return shortly afterwards to order a case….they’ve been converted to something which probably has never been on their radar.
This especially happens when visitors say they don’t like red wine or don’t like Chardonnay or perhaps struggle with anything that has a sparkle to it. We invariably find that they’ve tried something…often many years ago…and it has completely clouded their judgement. We ask them what they’ve tried previously and then point them in another direction. One of our most regular red wine customers is someone who, until a few months ago, said they couldn’t drink any sort of red wine. As I said earlier, drinking wine is all about the experience. We aim to make it a positive experience.”
Jon’s enthusiasm for wine comes across when you meet him. You really should pop into the Jesmond Wine Company and get ready to perhaps buy something different while stocking up on your favourites.
And why not chat about some rugby too.
Jon Welsh and the Jesmond Wine Company…a perfect team.