We recently connected with Jamarr Sanders and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Jamarr thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The idea for J-Rodez Wines really started during my career as a professional basketball player in Italy. Most people think the biggest takeaway from playing overseas is the basketball, but for me it was the culture. Italy introduced me to wine in a completely different way. It wasn’t intimidating or exclusive, it was simply part of everyday life. Wine was shared at the dinner table with family and friends, paired naturally with food, and used as a way to bring people together.
Those moments stuck with me. Sitting at long dinners with teammates and friends, talking about life over great bottles of wine, I realized wine was less about prestige and more about connection, culture, and conversation.
Over time, curiosity turned into a real passion. During my off-seasons I began traveling throughout Italy visiting wineries and learning directly from winemakers. I spent years immersing myself in their craft and philosophy, gaining a deep respect for the tradition, integrity, and sustainability behind many Italian wines.
But the more I learned, the more I noticed a gap back home. Many people feel disconnected from wine because it’s often presented as complicated or reserved for a certain crowd. The reality is that wine is meant to be enjoyed by everyone.
That realization became the foundation for J-Rodez Wines. My mission is to make wine accessible and culturally connected, helping people discover great wines, specifically from Italy through curated tastings, education, and personalized experiences.
What excites me most is bridging worlds. My background in sports taught me how to connect with people from all walks of life, and wine gave me a new way to experience culture. J-Rodez Wines sits at that intersection, creating experiences that demystify wine and make it welcoming for everyone.
At the end of the day, it’s not just about the bottle, it’s about the stories, the people, and the moments shared around it.
Jamarr, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Through J-Rodez Wines, I curate unique wine experiences designed to make wine feel approachable and culturally connected. I host private tastings, curated wine events, and educational experiences that introduce people to exceptional wines particularly from Italy, while sharing the stories behind them. I also work with clients to source special bottles and create personalized tasting experiences that fit their preferences and occasions.
The problem I’m really trying to solve is the intimidation factor that often surrounds wine. A lot of people feel like they need to know the “right” terminology or have a certain level of expertise before they can enjoy it. The truth is, wine is meant to be shared and experienced, not overcomplicated. My mission with J-Rodez Wines is to make wine accessible, relatable, and culturally connected so that anyone can feel confident exploring it.
What sets my work apart is the perspective I bring. My path into wine wasn’t traditional. I came into this world through travel, lived experiences, and years of learning directly from producers in Italy. That allows me to introduce wines in a way that feels authentic and grounded in culture rather than just theory. When people attend one of my tastings, they’re not just sampling wine, they’re gaining insight into the regions, the producers, and the traditions behind each bottle.
One of the things I’m most proud of is being able to bridge two worlds that don’t always intersect. As a former professional athlete and a Black wine professional, I want people from all backgrounds to see that wine can belong to them as well. Representation matters, and I’m passionate about creating spaces where people feel comfortable exploring wine without feeling out of place.
At the end of the day, what I want people to know about J-Rodez Wines is that it’s about more than wine. It’s about connection, culture, and creating memorable experiences that bring people together. Whether someone is completely new to wine or already passionate about it, my goal is for them to leave every experience feeling more confident, more curious, and more connected to the story behind the glass.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One lesson I had to unlearn was the idea that you always have to fit into a traditional mold in order to succeed in an industry.
Coming from professional sports, I was used to very clear structures; there’s a system, there’s a path, and you follow it if you want to make it. When I first started exploring the wine world, I initially thought I had to approach it the same way. I felt like I needed to speak exactly like everyone else in the industry, use all the technical terminology, and present wine in a very formal way in order to be taken seriously.
But over time I realized that approach didn’t feel authentic to who I was or how I experienced wine.
My relationship with wine started around dinner tables in Italy with teammates, friends, and families. It was relaxed, conversational, and rooted in culture and connection. When I tried to present wine in a way that felt overly rigid or academic, it actually took away from what made the experience special in the first place.
So I had to unlearn the idea that credibility only comes from fitting into a traditional framework. Instead, I leaned into my own perspective, sharing wine through storytelling, culture, and real-life experiences.
Ironically, that’s when things started to resonate the most with people. When I show up authentically and focus on making wine approachable and culturally connected, people feel more comfortable engaging with it.
That lesson ultimately shaped the mission of J-Rodez Wines: to demystify the wine world and create experiences where people can learn, explore, and enjoy wine without feeling intimidated.
Sometimes the biggest growth comes not from what we learn, but from what we realize we don’t have to carry anymore.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
My audience on social media is still growing, but one thing that has helped is focusing on a clear niche. I lean into the intersection of culture, wine, and my personal journey—from playing professional basketball overseas to discovering wine while living in Italy.
Through J-Rodez Wines, my content focuses on making wine approachable by sharing the stories behind the bottles, highlighting Italian wine culture, and creating simple educational moments that help people feel more confident exploring wine. That approach aligns with my mission of making wine accessible and culturally connected.
My advice to anyone starting out on social media is to find your niche. Once you know who you’re speaking to and what value you bring, it becomes much easier to create authentic content and build a genuine audience over time.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Scripp News
VinItaly Verona