The Wine of The Month

A Wine Company A Traditional Tale

Inside the early 1700s of man by the name of Mark Jacobs started a wine manufacturing company in Edinburgh Scotland. This despite being over 700 miles away from the nearest vineyard, and well over 1000 miles away from the grapes that he had decided to use in his range of Wines.

Remember, the 18th century was also prior to the industrial revolution, and transporting products around the world was a precarious and uncertain enterprise. But nevertheless Mr Jacobs decided that he wanted to produce his own brand of wines and obviously he was an extremely determined man.

His 1st action when setting up his wine business, was to charter two sailing ships. They had been to journey around the western coast of France, into the Mediterranean to southern France. There his friend and colleague Andr? Philippe owned 400 acres of prime vineyard.

Typically, at some point in the telling of Jacobs tale a question will be asked; “Why bother setting up a wine organization in Edinburgh when you are nowhere near your raw materials?”

In other words, why didn’t he just produce wine in France”? To answer this question you should understand that the French government was extremely strict, and took a tax levy of nearly 85% leaving virtually no profit for any budding entrepreneurs.

For nearly 80 years the two ships sailed between France and also the United Kingdom. The Wine producer “Jacobs of Edinburgh” manufactured almost 2,000,000 bottles in this time. These days of course that would be a really modest annual production, but given the limitations of this time in history and also the extreme logistical challenges, this was quite a feat.

Throughout the 1760s, the wine firm employed almost 150 staff and apprentices. The business also expanded, selling whiskey and even spiced confectionary. In the event you were to travel to Edinburgh you’ll be able to still see a plaque commemorating the factory on Bridge Street. A fashionable brasserie now stands where the factory once was.

Marc Jacobs died of consumption in 1771, and at first it seemed as if the organization would die with him. His son would not take over management on moral grounds, but Jacobs grandson Isaac was prepared to step in, and the business remained in the family until 1963 when it was finally sold to the alcohol giants Barks and Prince.

It’s fascinating to note that Andr? Philippe ran the French vineyards for the entire 76 years that the arrangement between the two countries was in existence. Philippe died just a couple of days prior to his 103rd birthday, a really rich and wealthy man. The vineyards that bear his name are still considered a few of the best in the world to this day.

As an aside, in 1981 a 104-year-old bottle of Jacobs Red Wine fetched ?4.2 million at auction. This would be about ?12 million these days or $18 million. It is unlikely that the wine was even drinkable after that time, it was not a particularly lengthy lasting vintage. It’s thought that the value was within the rarity and perhaps even the original Jacob’s label on the bottle.

As a history lesson, or even an object lesson in determination, Marc Jacobs story stands out. And he is rightly remembered for his famous wine company.

About the Author

The Jacob’s
wine company
formed around the 1700′s continues great
red wine
and other fantastic vintages in the form of Everton’s Wines.

San Diego Wine Company