Why all the outstanding reviews? The wine and the experience. Sofie and I spent nearly 2 hours here enjoying the wine and food pairings and listening to Jim Rickards tell the story of his years building his unique winery. What is unique about his winery? The soil, the aspect of the sun, the age of the vines and the care that Jim gives to his vines as a steward of the land. He took us out to a section of the vineyard and explained his unique challenges in the preservation and care of his vines. One unique challenge is growing the grapes on a slope. How to keep the soil from washing away? How to farm ground that was previously farmed by horses? (Horses are able to go places that tractors cannot go.) One technique used by the early growers of his vineyard that I found rather fascinating is how they blended their wine by growing a variety of grapes all in the same vineyard - so that there was no need to mix various wines together - just harvest your grapes and make the wine. The blend is in the grapes. He also explained how he is able to extend the life of his vineyard by carefully watching each vine to see signs of collapse. Should a new sprout appear at the root, carefully nurture it into a new vine. All of this requires a careful attention to each vine. Jim points to a particular vine and explains that it was about to break apart inside due to termites but new growth saved the vine 8 years earlier. When I first arrived at the vineyard I gravitated to Jim's tractor - a beautiful little Lamborgini crawler. I did not know he was the owner of the winery. I thought he as one of the helpers as he explained how he did an engine rebuild on the little tractor. I thought, "Three times?" - "What's wrong with it?" I asked - "It's not an antique show tractor - it gets a lot of work!" The tractor is an air cooled diesel - a unique feature of the engine - and it has no pre-heater for starting. Jim Rickards is a passionate man of many interests. Passionate about his tractor, his land, his vines and his wine. He is also a ICU nurse in Santa Rosa where still works part time. I found him pragmatic and attentive to the slow details that can be learned from careful observation and quiet reflection. His technique in taking care of his vineyard shows these qualities. It is poetic in watching him talk about his vines, his tractor, the piece of ground he has husbanded for 45 years - and to taste his wine. The best wine not served was his Barbera. I went to the tasting table for the cab and saw the Barbera label on one bottle and requested that one. It had the aroma and flavor of the earth. You know the poem by Tennyson: A Spirit Haunts The Year's Last Hours... and the lines: My very heart faints and my whole soul grieves At the moist rich smell of the rotting leaves, well, that's what came to my mind when I tasted the Barbera. Delicious! Sonoma county has lots of amazing wines, but I doubt you could get both the amazing wine and the experience of meeting J Rickards! Are you shy? Jim is like a glass of wine filled to the brim - jostle him with a question and stand back! read more

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J. Rickards is the winery that wine-drinkers everywhere are looking for in California. The property is beautifully charming. It's perfectly situated on a hillside with the owner's house and the barn (where they make the wine) seated right in the center. It's small enough to be described as quaint and large enough to really feel the presence of the vines, which is an important part of the experience. The staff are exemplary. That is to say, Jim the owner and Alex the winemaker. They are the ones you talk to, not some wine salesman. Alex is a truly gifted winemaker, and you can tell he cares immensely about his product. Jim is every know-it-all's dream. I say this because his patience for tedious questions about farming and the winemaking process is seemingly endless. He's happy to let you wander through the vines with him and even sample the grapes right off the vine (try doing that at Silver Oak, I dare you). Both were warm and welcoming and just happy to share their world. Most importantly, the wine is, at the risk of being a little emphatic, transcendent. If effort and know-how could be fermented and bottled it would have a J. Rickards label on it. While there is not one less-than-exemplary wine at this place, my two personal favorites are the Meritage and the Twilight. I had the pleasure of barrel-tasting the first batch of Twilight a few months before it was bottled, and it was beyond belief. My two friends accompanying me agreed wholeheartedly that it was one of the best dessert wines we'd ever had. The Meritage is about as perfect as a red wine can get. I won't even go into detail about it because you really should just taste it yourself. I know my review is a little heavy-handed with the compliments, but it's only because J. Rickards is so thoroughly deserving of praise. If you've ever wished for the perfect wine country experience then visit them. Right now. You won't regret it. read more

I haven't had a chance to go to the winery yet but I just wanted to say that the bottle of 2016 Left Bank Cuvee Classic Blend Red Wine we just enjoyed was very nice. Quality through the palate and surprising depth. It was a perfect pairing with pasta and meat sauce. read more

Came here on a whim. Every year we purchase wine for our next trip to Mendocino. Hubby and I came in with 2 very well behaved kids and maybe that is why we weren't welcomed in, IDK... I've been to LOTS of wineries and this was the first one where we told to go to the end of the bar and were poured the first wine for tasting. No one talked to us about the wines or anything. We were told what the name of the wine was and then left to our own devices. It wasn't even crowded. The wines were good and priced well but the staff just wasn't very friendly, it wasn't relaxing or enjoyable really. We bought a bottle of the zin and left to go to another winery where they were a little more personable and welcoming. read more

Yay! I'm a fan...but not necessarily because of the wines. They were unique, interesting, one was even "buttery," but they didn't call out to me as my kind of amazing. But that is how wine is! What makes me a fan was the impressive friendliness, knowledge and willingness to give us out of towners tips on what else to do in the area, including other wineries to try. The view was lovely, peaceful. The information shared with us by our hostess was wonderful, and really gave us a sense of the winery. I would definitely visit again! read more

j.rickards is off the beaten path and such a hidden gem. our friends have been long time wine club members and I definitely see why. when we arrived, we were greeted by the property dogs. they were so friendly. in the tasting room we enjoyed many of j. rickards wines. to accompany we also got some cheese and chocolate. Jim is super friendly and passionate. he really is a renaissance man. on top of making wine, he is also a nurse. he built his own house on the property. he made his wife's engagement ring. he grafts his own vines. he does everything! he took us for a walk in the vineyard and explained the vines to us. it was a special treat. read more

Loved the personalized tasting we received on our tour of Sonoma County. Our host was friendly and encouraged us to tour the grounds, even giving us a sneak peek into the wine cellar. One of my favorite places we saw the whole trip to wine country. read more

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J. Rickards was our second favorite winery on our wine tour, although the first stop. They have a cute sense of humor about their wines. On the wine tote they gave us with our half case purchase it said "Darn Fine Barn Wine". They also handed out coasters that said "Passion..No Pretense" and that pretty much sums them up. We drove up to the owner's cattle dog herding our cars into place. She also herded us into the tasting room, it was very cute and charmed our group right away. We were given a short tour of their wine making processes, all of which are sustainable. I was very impressed by their solar set up along with the description of the rain water resevoir that was explained to us for irrigation. They also have various types of birdhouses set up to attract certain birds that will eat pests without using chemicals. We were then taken into the tasting room and the facilities were just immaculately clean. They offered us breadsticks and bits of cheese to go along with our wine tastings. We were quite impressed with their Zins and even bought a Cab, which was surprising to us since we don't normally like Cabs. We really liked just about everything they let us taste. Apparently we were the only ones in our group however, that were impressed by the wines, as we were the only ones who purchased. Once again, the subjectivity of wines, I guess. At any rate, this is a great stop for friendly, unpretentious wine with a little education on sustainable farming practices. Interesting and delicious! read more

Love this place! It's a hidden gem and I'm so glad to have discovered it for myself! The family run establishment excels in so many ways. Jim, proprietor, is so personable and takes his time to engage and educate. He's clearly very passionate about wine making and wants to share with anyone that is interested. I thought his concept of tasting the different vintages of the same wine was brilliant. The rest of the staff were also a riot. I had a good wine buzz towards the end of the trip and having such a great time, I didn't even wince when I bought half a case of cabs and zins. The prices are so darn good! Anyway, every bottle I've opened that I brought back from the winery have been AMAZING! I'm ordering more and I'm not sure if they sell their wines in stores just yet. If you are moved to visit this place after reading my review, all I ask is to please don't ruin this gem for anyone else ;) read more

We toured J. Rickards Winery. We learned about farming and the wine business from Jim, the owner. The wines were some of the best in Sonoma and were a real treat. The wine prices were reasonable, especially for the high quality of the wine. I highly recommend visiting this winery! read more

This is our favorite winery ever! We've been wine club members since 2013 when we first visited California. On our first visit to this winery we were supposed to be on a wine tour but ended up being the only two people on the bus. When we got to this winery we were there for 2 hours!! They were so great to us and let us taste everything! They also showed us around the vineyard and let us see how their wine is made. Every time we receive a shipment they send a little note and gift for being a member. You won't find wine even close to this anywhere on Long Island. I recommend placing an order and you will see for yourself what people are talking about. I recommend the Old Vine Zinfandel to start with, but you won't be disappointed with anything you try from this vineyard! read more

We walked in right before closing on Saturday after the Ironman to buy some bottles of wine and were so surprised, impressed, and delighted with the quality of the impromptu tasting. We met the owner and learned all about the brand and now have several bottles of wine at home in our cooler. Thank you so much for the service and the wine!!! Literally loved everything Jay put in front of us. read more

Darn good wine for resealable prices. What I enjoyed here was the old vine zines the cab and malbec. The rose here is a must try as its perfect to have on a hot day. If you like dessert wines there usually three that the vintner produces such as los niños perdidos that is a port style and a late harvest sauv blanc wine. The friendly staff makes the environment here very welcoming and laid back. Check this place out! read more

J. Rickards Winery - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Cloverdale, California

Can't say enough great stuff about this winery. Beautiful grounds (including caves) and friendly staff. Also some of the best wine in Sonoma County. This is one of the places people in the industry say they go when they want to wine taste. read more

What a wonderful afternoon tasting great wines served by friendly people! The atmosphere was relaxed, view fabulous, weather was perfect and the taco plate was excellent and complementary to the wines. I'd call that a 10 kind of day!! Thanks for a wonderful experience Sandy and John Ferrando Santa Rosa read more

We have been to wineries all over the planet and as hard as it is to pick one between all of them that would deserves 99 point, J Rickards would be the one for us. Jim and his team are first class and we now make sure that every trip into the Valley our first stop is at this place. Keep up the good work and thanks. read more

Great experience. Jim gives you a great lesson and a great time. This is in addition to his world class wines. I found the wines a little pricey, but that's what you get for a smaller winery that practices sustainability and has amazing quality. Perhaps I'm just used to good quality in $20 and less. Either way, we had an A+ experience, enjoyed the best wine of the day here and walked away with a strong inclination to join his wine club. Highlight is his circa-1920's bare-knuckle boxing mustache. Clearly he must wax that bad boy when he isn't making delicious wine. read more

J.Rickards is my favorite winery anywhere!! Old Vine Zin is fabulous, it is a rich, fruity and very drinkable Zin and a personal favorite, but I love all their wines. They do a exceptional job with their red blends and the petite sirah is big, rich and smooth. Pinot Noir is soft and fruity and they make very clean and fruity sav blanc. I joined their wine club 4 years ago as I haven't seen their wines here in Florida. I frequently impress friends when I share a bottle . It truly is "Damm Fine Barn Wine"! read more

Where's the option for 6+ Stars. This winery has set the bar high for the other wineries. The wine is excellent and the customer service is off the charts. We were there for about 20-30 min and Jim the owner came in. We ended up spending 2+ hours talking with Jim and other visitors. What great time. We joined the wine club so we would have a set date to come back on wine pick up day. The only negative thing a can say is we live 3 hours away. Make this winery a must stop on your visit to this area!!!! read more

I am an avid fan of wine and wine tasting, and my experience is primarily in Napa, El Dorado,Lodi, Amador, Clarksburg, and Solvang......(these are my frequent hang outs) This past weekend, we decided to try our luck in Sonoma, and I am so glad we walked into J.Rickards Winery. P_A_R_T_Y!! When I say it was fun, I am saying it because i dont know any other words that can describe our experience. We hung out with Mary, who has a wonderful personality and a knowledge of wine and the wine making process that every tasting room employee should share with their guests. i've been tasting for years, and I was in awe of her knowledge. She gave us an ample tasting of wines and varietals, and also a tour of their wine cave. The wine is easy to drink and i didn't taste any wine that I felt was a "miss"...every wine we tasted, even wines like merlot or zin (that i usually dont like) were delicious! When we got back from the cave, we hung out with Jim (J.Rickards) who told us more details about wine and his history in wine making, and even schooled us on wine glasses. Being in there was like being at a family gathering. When we walked in, we had intentions on just tasting some wine before we got on the highway to head back to Sacramento. but after hanging out with our new friends, we took a few bottles home we definately will be back to this winery read more

For me wine tasting is all about the experience. My husband's daughter recently turned 21, so we took her out wine tasting. This was our first stop and Jim and Blaine did not disappoint!! The wine was good, but not amazing; with all the love they pour in your find a couple winners. What made 5 stars for me, was the down to earth, inviting and super passionate and knowledgeable grower and owner, Jim. He gave us all a tour of their new cave and an awesome education on the entire process. Since it was Kaley's first time, Blaine went above and beyond teaching her about how to wine taste. We bought a bought of sparkling wine; which we had for NYE and really enjoyed!! read more

J. Rickards Winery - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Cloverdale, California

Had an absolutely amazing time with Jim and the great staff. If you enjoy great wines and down to earth people you must stop by. We came in for just a two quick days from PA & hope to return often! read more

J. Rickards Winery - Had an absolutely amazing time with Jim and the great staff. We hope to return often! - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Cloverdale, California

Loved it. Susan was so pleasant and knew her stuff. Wine was DELICIOUS too. We were stuffed from lunch and even then this place was perfect. I was so tempted to join the wine club that's how good the wine was. My wife won't let me join anymore, plus it's a little far from us and we have so many great local ones here too. Back to JR though. Loved the Zin, Cab, and Port. Will put this on the list for future visits. Definitely recommend to all. PS. We left with a good few bottles. A sure sign that the wine is good. read more

At the Northern End of Alexander Valley, on Chianti Road, lies J. Rickards Winery. I was introduced to this hidden gem during Wineroad's Wine and Food Affair. I had the pleasure of visiting 7 wineries and J. Rickards Old Vine Zinfandel was my favorite sip of the day. The vines are 106 years old and the wine is 80% Zinfandel blended with Petit Sirah, Carignane, Mataro, Alicante Bouschet, Muscent de Canelli and Golden Chasselas. All are picked and fermented together. The result is juicy, dark fruit and spice with finely integrated tannins. I was equally impressed by the 2013 Sémillon. I was informed that this wine "has some elbows" and it definitely did. The fermentation process is 50% stainless steel and 50% neutral oak which give this wine a full melon and honeysuckle flavor with hints of spice. Both wines won silver medals at the 2014 Sonoma County Harvest Fair. Well worth the trip to taste a J. Rickards wine. Since the trip happened on the Wine and Food Affair weekend I will also mention DL Catering's Lamb Shank Cassoulet paired with J. Rickards' Malbec. While not my favorite pairing of the day, I will mention that in another post, I did enjoy the rich flavors. read more

Well I thought we had already written a review but apparently something happened or I never sent it! Just a quick THANK YOU to this wonderful winery! Now I no longer have the names but we not only had a lovely time talking wines with them but the wines were delicious. Our timing was great as hardly any one there so we got to just relax and enjoy the great light wines and rose they had. Jim, the owner, shared so much fascinating information on the grapes, the surrounding soils and the entire process we could have listened all day! Very low key, extremely knowledegable guy who brings a real charm to their family run business. They were great and even our pomeranians had a great time! Thanks to the staff at the bar too...so embarrassed I have forgotten names! :) Best wishes and hope to get up there again~ read more

This was one of our favorite stops. We've been acquainted with Jim's Old Vine Zin for years now because my parents had been here previously. However, we'd never been ourselves. Jim, the owner, is a gem of a man. He is knowledgeable and enjoys sharing the stories of his vineyard. Susan in the tasting room is friendly and helpful. We tasted a variety of wonderful wines here. Our favorite us still the Old Vine Zin but there are many other solid varietals here. Put this one on your list! read more

I have been on a ton of wine tours everywhere from Temecula to Napa to Santa Barbara and this was by far the best wine tour I have ever been on. Doug and the whole staff were incredibly fun and knowledgeable. The wines were fantastic! I am more of a red wine drinker, but everything I tasted including the sparkling, whites and rose were amazing! It was mine and my twin sister's birthday and Doug immediately celebrated with some Sparkling wine! It was a great experience. I would highly recommend this winery to anyone visiting Sonoma! Please visit! They will take care of you! read more

I cannot believe I haven't written a review for J Rickards yet. My husband and I have been avid fans and members since 2015 when I went on the recommendation of one of the Geyserville locals--he said, "we have to start at J Rickards, while you are still sober enough to taste the wine and hang out with Jim." Since then I have been back 4 times, each time with a different group of people, because it's the kind of place that you want to keep secret and safe until you tell your nearest and dearests about it. We have been as a couple, as a gaggle of girls for a mini-bachelorette, as a massive group of 20 for a post-wedding celebration, and as a multi-generational family. I have taken my parents (who are 100% sure there is no difference between a bottle of charles shaw and a bottle of fine bordeaux) and, while barrel-tasting the rose de aleatico, my mother said, almost tearfully "Oh, this is... I LIKE this," and bought 3 bottles. I personally love the wine. You do NOT get typical wines here, but I think the winery does a great job experimenting with style and flavor, and I love the crisp whites as much as I love the juicy reds. I am always thrilled/proud to bring an unusual varietal to dinner with friends/coworkers, and after an afternoon with Jim, have all sorts of fun and interesting tidbits to share about the history of the varietal, how the wine was made, or how the vines were maintained. read more

Coming from Washington State and finding a wine at such a moderate price that surpasses most of the higher priced wines that I have tried is impressive. Jim hosts wine tasting events at my Bakery in Washington now and I have never had any problem selling out. The problem is that I do not have enough room for everybody that wants to come. Now if that doesn't tell you how good his wines are I would say, try them for yourself and be ready to stay for awhile. My Favorite wine they make there is the Petite Syrah (also the most picked by my customers), but I recently tried the Old Vine Zinfandel and Oh My God was that great. I hope that I can always find these wines and that the "Best darn barn wines" will carry on through the generations. read more

Fantastic Winery. Terrific and very reasonable priced wines. We became club members just over a year ago, and plan to stay! Today at our tasting and wine pickup, my daughter also signed up for the club. Our wine server was Mary - she's a hoot! Very sharp, funny, personable - she made the experience all the much better! (Give her a raise.) We got a quick tour of the barrel cave... Very neat to see it completed now. Good show all !! read more

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This place is amazing! Went up early on our first day of tasting to beat the crowd and stayed way longer than we'd anticipated because Jay was so much fun and so full of great information. Wine was outstanding, tour was super interesting and fun, and the grounds are gorgeous. Love that they give out wildflower seed packets too, such a clever way to brand and it makes you feel like you're a part of their sustainability. We will definitely be back! Cheers! read more

What a great winery! Terrific Tours suggested this and they were absolutely spot on. We were lucky enough to have Jim himself the day we went. Every wine we tried was delicious there were 10 of us and we all plan on joining the wine club there. Unfortunately most of the wines we tried are now sold out so we have to wait for the fall shipment but I am sure we will love those too. His cab is as good as it gets. Jim is very laid back but gave us much information on his grapes and vineyard - will definitely go back. read more

This winery is amazing! Doug took great care of us. He showed us around the property, walked us into the vines to teach us some stuff and then took us into the cave. This vineyard is very beautiful and has a great outdoor area. I highly recommend this place for great wine and a great experience. read more

I was just at J. Rickard's on a wine tour last weekend, it happened to be the first winery of the day, but it really ended up being the best. The winery is owned and run by Jim and his wife Eliza, with the help of Sue in the tasting room. This is a little farther north, but worth the drive, the property has a beautiful view and Jim really loves to take people around giving people a full tour, giving a history of the vines, the grapes, his practice as an unknowingly sustainable farmer since the 80s, and his collection of ferrari's and lamborghinis (all old tractors). The wine was all really delicious and pretty reasonably priced, my mom even joined the wine club. read more

Excellent wine. Excellent atmosphere. The tasting was over the top! Doug did our tasting and he was excellent. This small winery is a must anyone passing through the area! read more

Awesome tasting. We had reservations for 4 and we did lunch there from Big John's market. Doug (our host) met us with our pre-ordered lunch, set us up outside at a picnic table and a wonderful glass of wine. What a view and extremely nice lunch. Once we finished we moved inside for an outstanding tasting. The wine was very nice and Doug took us all on a tour of the facility to include the wine cave and vineyard. He even offered us a barrel tasting of their Rose.... over the top Doug - Thank you. We not only bought some of their wonderful wine we joined the club. We go to Sonoma/Napa every year and this was by far one of our best tastings. Will go again next year. read more

By far one of our favorite vineyards in this area. Hubby and I visited in aug 2012, we are wine club members and called ahead since we had friends with us..Pam put out some great wines and paired some tasty cheeses for us to sample. We love the laid back atmosphere and the wines are tasty. The owner, Jim , is usually on hand to give a tour of his prized vines! The 5 sisters blend is amazing! read more

Be aware, this is a working winery. You will speak with folks here that make the wine and love the wine. So if you're looking for the opulent tasting room where you'll likely be served by the hired help that barely knows anything off the script then move on. This place is the real Sonoma County experience. read more

Our tasting experience was going great until we were abruptly and rudely ushered out to make room for another party by the owner's wife. There were 8 of us in our party and we had arrived on time for our appointment. There was no warning given to us ahead of time! We didn't even have time to purchase wine. How rude! read more

We've been here for 3 wine road events and just love it. 2 of my friends joined the wine club. I love their bubbly and just had a case sent home on my last trip. We drank a bottle tonight, cheers! The family is very friendly and down to earth. We will stop in every time we're in the area. I've heard tasting are always complimentary. read more