By Donna Cornelius
Journal feature writer
You’re hosting a holiday party and need to buy wine. So you venture into a wine shop, and a nattily-dressed salesperson heads your way. You have no clue what to ask for. Pinot Noir or Pinot Blanc? Malbec or Merlot? Why oh why, you’re thinking, didn’t I read that copy of “Wine for Dummies” more carefully?
Oh, the horror.
Scott Jones is out to rescue those whose wine wisdom isn’t exactly full-bodied. According to the food and wine professional, who lives in Hoover, choosing wine should be fun—not frightening.
“There’s no snobbery in what I do,” Jones said. “I sidestep the fancy ‘winespeak’ and meet people where they are.”
Jones, the former executive editor of Southern Living, has been writing and talking about wine for more than 10 years. He’s president of Jones Is Thirsty and Jones Is Hungry, culinary media companies focused on publishing, custom content, food and wine writing and wine education.
He shares his love and knowledge of wine through educational seminars and tastings in corporate settings and private in-home gatherings. Whatever the venue, he said, he tries to make people comfortable instead of telling them which wines they should like.
“Choosing wines, at a wine store or even at Publix, can be intimidating,” Jones said. “It’s OK not to know everything. My job is to empower folks to make better, more informed decisions. I don’t show up in a smoking jacket and ascot.”
Jones, a native Southerner, earned a bachelor’s degree in magazine publishing and journalism at the University of Mississippi. He lived in Los Angeles and New York before settling in Birmingham.
“After I graduated from Ole Miss, my wife and I moved to L.A.,” he said. “We were both in the movie business.”
After five years there, the couple headed for New York, where Jones attended the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. He also worked at Food and Wine magazine.
In 1999, Jones joined Southern Living, which brought him and his family to Birmingham.
“I’ve loved every minute of being here,” he said. “There’s an incredible food and wine scene here.”
Jones left Southern Living on Dec. 31, 2010, he said, and officially started Jones Is Hungry Jan. 1, 2011. Through the company, he does food, wine and travel writing, develops and tests recipes and handles strategic media planning. He also gives lectures and demonstrations and judges culinary-themed competitions.
Jones Is Thirsty came along last September.
“I’d been doing educational events for business and private clients for 10 years,” he said. “This was a way to formalize what I was doing.”
His two daughters, now teenagers, came up with the names of both companies, he said.
“I had lots of ideas, but they told me I should keep it simple,” he said. “And everyone who knows me well calls me ‘Jones.’”
Although he attended culinary school, Jones said he never had plans to work as a chef or own a restaurant.
“My passion has always been for the media part—to write about food and wine,” he said. “I’m more like a curator. That’s what I feel like I can bring to the table.”
Jones didn’t grow up in a family of oenophiles, he said.
“We didn’t drink in my home,” he said. “I started drinking more wine when we lived in L.A. I just liked it.”
His interest in wine increased during his three years at the Culinary Institute of America.
“At CIA, you do a wine immersion program that’s sponsored by Wine Spectator,” he said. “Everything blew up from there. It ignited my passion.”
Jones said he’s intrigued by the “academic part” of wine.
“I love the geography and the history,” he said. “But I was always turned off by the ‘wine snob’ part of it.”
That’s why, whether he’s holding tastings for fellow food and wine professionals or for members of a Monday night bunko group, he tries to make learning about wine fun.
“I encourage people to try different types of wine, to become better informed,” he said. “I also like to talk about the magic that happens when food and wine are paired together. What wine do you pair with chicken fettuccine or shrimp salad or spicy Thai food?”
Jones’ companies frequently take him on the road to meet with corporate clients, for culinary tours and to attend food festivals. He’s visited Chile three times as the spokesperson for the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association.
“Chile is what California was 100 years ago,” he said. “It’s got a similar climate. It’s laid back, and the food is great.”
One of the places he enjoys visiting the most, he said, is California’s Russian River Valley. At a vineyard that was once a ranch owned by Fred MacMurray of TV’s “My Three Sons” and Disney movie fame, MacMurray’s daughter chauffeured Jones and his wife around in the same jeep the well-known actor drove.
“We learned that the family that originally owned the property was from Alabama,” Jones said. “I felt like we’d come full circle.”
One of his favorite festivals, he said, is the Charleston Food and Wine Festival. He’s looking forward to being a celebrity judge at the Hangout Oyster Cook-off in Gulf Shores Nov. 9. He’ll join well-known chefs and Food Network personalities there, but he has a bigger reason for looking forward to the event.
“My family will be able to go with me,” he said.
On most trips, he said, his busy agenda and his family’s schedule means he travels alone.
“I’m often a party of one,” he said.
While traveling to exotic places, eating great food and sampling spectacular wine may seem like a glamorous job, it’s first and foremost work. On culinary tours, he said, participants often are up at the crack of dawn to cram into a van, not slowing down until late at night.
But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love what he does.
“There’s no doubt God has blessed me,” he said. “I’ve met lots of great people around the world.”
Jones Celebrates:
Tips for Taking on the Holidays
The biggest foodie holiday of the year is always a festive occasion for Scott Jones and his family.
“I like a big Thanksgiving,” he said. “But for Christmas and New Year’s, I like things on a smaller scale, more intimate. Smaller gatherings allow people to catch up and to mingle.”
Hosting holiday get-togethers should be fun, he said.
“This is an overused term, but ‘keep is simple’ is my advice,” he said.
That starts with good planning and coming up with strategies to make things ahead of time, he said.
“You need to set yourself up to win,” he said. “This isn’t the time to try 10 new things. Maybe work in one new food. This isn’t the time to wing it.”
While Jones loves to cook, he knows not everyone feels confident in the kitchen—particularly when they’re feeding guests.
“There’s nothing wrong with picking up pulled pork from Jim ’N Nicks and making sliders,” he said.
If you’re not sure how much wine to buy, plan on getting five to six glasses of wine out of a bottle, Jones said.
“Over a two-hour party, each guest typically will drink two to three glasses of wine,” he said.
Smart buying means that you won’t run out of wine—and also that you won’t have so much of the good stuff that guests might tend to overindulge.
“Drink responsibly,” Jones said. “When you’re hosting a party, there’s a level of stewardship there.”
When you’re choosing which wines to serve, the first rule is not to be afraid to ask questions, Jones said.
“Be honest about what you like,” he said. “And be honest about your budget. There are amazing wines under $12.”
For more information about Jones’ wine education seminars, tips—and recipes, too—visit www.jonesishungry.com and www.jonesisthirsty.com.
