Today’s Guest is Jason Neal, owner of the Gauteng-based drinks distributor, Nicholson Smith, and creator of award-winning brands like Pandora’s Box wine range. Jason “grew” up in the liquor industry following in his father’s footsteps, who was Mr Ballantines Whiskey at Hiram Walker and later successfully start exporting SAB beers during the Meyer Kahn era.

Jason started working at The Cellars of Hyde Park when he was only 16 years old, Jason started working at The Cellars of Hyde Park when he was only 16 years old, thereafter he cut his entrepreneurial teeth with a Sorghum Breweries in Diepsloot.

After selling the brewery, Jason joined Boetie Rietoff at Somerset Wines and then he helped Italian billionaire, Count Riccardo Agusta, owner of Grand Provance, launch La Vie De Luc Mineral Water which is now the No 1 on consumption water in South Africa.

Nicholson Smith was started in 1997 to import Bowman’s whisky from the USA. Jason joined the company in 2005. After buying out the founding partners, Jason has been operating the business on his own since 2009. Nicholson Smith is now a complete drinks business, selling what the market demands.

https://www.nicholsonsmith.co.za/

Jason Neal is also the creator of the very successful Pandora’s Box wine range with the help of James Mckenzie, owner at Nabygelegen Private Cellar.

https://www.nicholsonsmith.co.za/wines/itemlist/category/51-pandora-s-box