James B. Sanders, often referred to as the father of fine wines in Atlanta, guided thousands of people from all over the South through what he called “the Wonderful World of Wines.”
A native Georgian and graduate of Emory University, Jim Sanders first became enamored of wines while bicycling through the French wine country in 1948. He subsequently established Atlanta’s first restaurant to feature fine wines (Top o’ Peachtree, 1960) and founded its first quality wine stores Reese’s, 1963, and the original Ansley Mall Bottle Shop, 1965). He directed the area’s first wine appreciation society and taught the region’s first courses in wine.
Through the years, Jim wrote extensively about wine for Atlanta Magazine and a dozen upscale publications from Miami to Indianapolis. The Sanders Course in French Wines boasts more than 1,500 graduates.
Introduced in 1980, the J. Sanders line of Burgundies, Beaujolais and Cotes du Rhones have become synonymous with high quality and value while also retaining the proper typicity of each French appellation they come from.
In 1986 the Republic of France awarded James B.Sanders its Ordre du Merite Agricole, the country’s highest award for those in the wine and food professions.
Sadly Jim passed in 1999 yet, due to the enormous popularity of the J. Sanders label, his friend and Sherlock’s owner Doug Bryant was able to proudly continue Jim’s passion for high quality French wines by introducing the J. Sanders wines to all of the Sherlock’s retail locations.
It has been an honor to continue Jim’s legacy here at his old store and we couldn’t think of a better way to pay tribute to him than by offering a wooden mixed case of his favorite staple “every day” wines!
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