Hadley Douglas

TJ and Hadley Douglas are the husband and wife owners of The Urban Grape, a ground-breaking and wildly popular wine store in Boston. The store concept is simple, but revolutionary - Drink Progressively. Their system of sorting wine by its body, instead of by varietal or region, brings ease and an unexpected surprise to customers, and business is booming as a result. The Urban Grape has won accolades as Boston’s Best Wine store from both Boston magazine and The Improper Bostonian, as well as a 50 on Fire award from BostInno, an innovation think tank in the city.

As the wine buyer, head sales person, and architect of Drink Progressively for The Urban Grape, TJ is directly responsible for the stores’ successes. He has been profiled by Boston magazine, Boston Common, The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, The Improper Bostonian, Massachusetts Beverage Journal, and Terroirist. Thanks to TJ’s leadership, The Urban Grape was also called “Boston’s Revolutionary Wine Store” in a cover story for Beverage Dynamics. He has taught classes on drinking progressively at the Boston Center for Adult Education, and at events like the Boston Wine Expo. TJ also consults with area restaurants on making their wine lists more user-friendly and accessible.

Hadley’s background is in marketing, events, and philanthropic management. If TJ’s job is to sell what’s in the store, Hadley’s is to sell the store itself. She has built a loyal community through Twitter, Facebook, and her widely read blog and weekly newsletters. Hadley coordinates wine-focused lifestyle contact for websites like Style Me Pretty, Living, and Racked, and in magazines like Boston Home. The official voice of The Urban Grape, Hadley translates “wine speak” to UG’s customers in a clear, fun, and vibrant way. Additionally, she directs all of the store’s charitable giving, ensuring that the store is a good community partner to its customers and to the South End neighborhood where the store is located.

Together, TJ and Hadley are the parents of two wonderful boys, Noah and Jason, who were each selling Pinot Noir on the playground by the age of three. When they’re not drinking and selling wine, they can be found hiking, skiing, and beaching it with their sons, and the family dog Zeus.