Went to J. Rickards Winery for the Winter Wine Roads event. I spoke with Jim, what a GREAT guy! He was really friendly and treated me like he had known me for years! Their wine was top notch, I really liked the Syrah. Jim told me that Silver Oak buys their grapes from him and charges upwards of $100 bottle! Not here, their wine was reasonably priced and delicious! read more

Family-owned and operated--the tasting room is friendly, knowledgeable and intimate (oh and complementary). Sissy was an amazing host as was her cohort who gave us a tour of the Zinfandel grapes and the owner took time to chat with us about his history, philosophy and upcoming renovations. We signed up for the wine club not just because we loved the 13 Sisters Cabernet and 2013 Old Vine Zinfandel but also because the people were hands down the stars of the experience. Thank you! read more

Excellent wines at reasonable prices. Impeccable service and atmosphere in the tasting room. The first time I visited I seriously didn't want to leave, so I joined the wine club and bought a case. read more

One of our favorite vineyards in wine country. Friendly people that are quite knowledgeable and educational. We always try to stop when we make it to this area of Alexander Valley and never fail to leave without a couple of bottles of wine (or more)! Just don't ask if they're organic - they're proudly "biodynamic" and select the best farming practices available to them for their land and wines. read more

Jim & Eliza are total sweeties. Jim gives great tours, complete with history of the vines. The wines are fantastic...I'm not a huge white wine fan, but the Kismet is AMAZING! read more

Thank you for a spectacular setting, lovely wines, outstanding hospitality. Ozzie, you rocked it and we learned a ton. Immersion experience. If you are tasting in the Alexander Valley, don't mess around, go here!!! read more

Had a picnic here yesterday. Beautiful views and delicious wines. Authentic local vibe.

Fabulous experience! Jim is fantastic! Extremely educated, intelligent and fun, down to earth person. He turned wine tasting into an art; he took his time to explain everything wine taster wants to know. I can't wait to go back for their harvest event in September! Many, many thanks! read more

The best tasting of our whole experience! We joined the wine club and cannot wait to get the wines in Kansas City! It was all amazing!

My favorite winery ever. We've been wine club members since 2014 when there was the old tasting room. We've stayed members through three moves - the wine is that good and we are big wine fans. The service here is always personal and great, and I don't think there's a single wine I haven't loved. You have been into big bold american wines, but these are still really smooth. I highly recommend you visit and come taste for free. read more

As a wine club member, I am certainly biased, but the entire staff and family at J Rickards are the best! We have been to several wineries now in the Sonoma region, and while many boast excellent wine and estates, it is the service, kindness, fun, and intimate experience that sets J Rickards apart from them all. Not to mention that I truly think that the quality of the wine is outstanding, with very fair pricing and a humble owner. We went for a recent work retreat to J Rickards, and even though we were late due to road delays, the staff stayed past closing for us to ensure we had time to enjoy all the wines, play corn hole, and have a cave tour. Susan and Doug went out of their way to ensure that we had a wonderful experience, and reminded me again why we decided to join the wine club. One other feature that stands out about J Rickards is the wide variety of wines that they make, all from small vineyards, and all of solid quality. Most other wineries in the region focus on one or two varietals, but because of Jim's interest in dabbling into multiple wines/flavors, we get the benefit or trying excellent and creative new wines every season. Thanks for a wonderful experience every time! read more

Our experience at this tasting room was so delightful we became members on the spot! We are looking forward to our first Derby Days party. I highly recommend checking them out whether new to the world of wines or a lover of wines. I even loved their white wine selection which is pretty rare, I'm a fan! read more

We felt this is one of the best winery and with beautiful views. Staff was very courteous and helpful. They treat you like firends. Their wines were great and we enjoyed a lot. We spent around 2 hours and enjoyed every bit. We went without any appointment (7 member group) but still able to get great hospitality from Doug ( one of the staff member). The was rainy but the views were great with beautiful hills, clouds and rainbows. read more

This was the best winery we went to on our trip to Sonoma County! Not only was the service excellent, but there was such a welcoming family atmosphere. The wine was excellent! We especially liked the Old Vine Zinfandel. After we'd finished our tasting, Jim took us on a tour of the wine cave. We loved hearing about the history of the winery and his dedication to sustainable production. Highly recommend! read more

This winery is awesome! The tasting room's wine wench (seriously! check out her website) was amazing. She was helpful and informative, even when we asked silly questions. I hear she is thinking about hosting a wine education class ;) I hear JR himself actually frequents his tasting room and is more than willing to take people on tours of the vineyard, but unfortunately he was on vacation when we came to visit. The actual wines that JR makes are some of my favorite in that end of town, and that end of towns makes my favorite wines so I guess that means it makes some of my favorite wines ever. We came out buying their 2007 Petite Syrah, 2008 Malbec, and Twilight - their late harvest white wine. If my paycheck was never ending I also would have bought their Muscat (light and sweet) and their Sauvignon Blanc. Check them out, it's nice to see a little family winery get ahead. read more

Went to J. Rickards for the Winter Wineland (Wine Road) event. It was a great first stop prior to heading to Silver Oak, which lacked the soul of J. Rickards. I really enjoyed meeting Jim and talking with him. Everything is reasonably priced. I really enjoyed the Petite Syrah. read more

Small family vineyard in which we even met the winemaker/owner during our tasting. Tasting was comped with a purchase which is always appreciated. The reds were good as we're the whites, but just weren't blow away as they were very dry for our taste buds. Their two ports were awesome and took home one of each. Great stop if you're in the area. read more

A group of around 10 of us visited the winery and did a tasting. We were looking for a perfect ladies weekend. Sissy was our host and was everything we were looking for! So friendly and knowledgeable. She brought over several types of wine and made sure to give us a bit of history about each wine and recommended some pairings. She even had some little pairings (chocolate, cheese, etc.) for us to try with some of the wines. She answered all our questions and then led us outside to visit their new wine cave. She gave us a bit of knowledge about the process and the barrels. After the cave she shared some grapes with us as she told us about the environmentally friendly processes that the winery uses including utilizing grey water, solar panels, and supporting a natural ecosystem with birdhouses etc instead of pesticides to keep pests away from the grapes. We all agreed that this winery was our favorite out of the other 3 we visited that day. It wasn't just the wine, it was the small family down to earth vibe, the friendliness, the beauty of the property and the information and time that Sissy shared with us. It was a great stop to add to our day. We all left happily with our wine and look forward to taking our friends here. Thanks for everything! read more

Would highly recommend to anyone in the area. Susan was our tour guide and she was awesome. Great wine!

Wonderful, friendly, cute place- my mom and I were so glad we stumbled upon this spot on our road trip. It was very uncrowded in the late afternoon and there were a few people and dogs in the tasting room, which made for some pleasant relaxed conversation. We were shocked when told it was free to taste the wines. We even got a little cheese and chocolate for pairing. I decided to buy a bottle of the Semillon white- very reasonable at $22. read more

Wonderful experience! Tasty wines and fun friendly people! Joined the wine club and am excited to return in the fall!

My friend and I visited this winery because we had been referred from the Geyserville Inn. Well I am SO glad we did. We got to try some lovely wines (LOVED the Rose) and even try some cheese and chocolate to help enhance certain flavors. I am lactose intolerant, but I just had to try a small nibble, and it was amazing how it changed the flavor of the muscato. I now know that I am missing out on something people - wine and cheese pairings. My friend and I both joined the wine club because we loved the wine and we were charmed by the woman who poured us our wines and also toured the facilities. We were shocked to find out she had just started the week earlier! I cannot wait to get my wine shipment! read more

My friends surprised me with a winery tour for my bachelorette and J. Rickards was our first stop and our favorite winery to visit! Christina, our guide, greeted us outside and brought us into the tasting room. She then gave us some background on the winery and took us around the grounds, and barrel room. Christina was a great guide. She was very professional, knowledgable, fun, entertaining, and engaging too. She even sent me a little note congratulating us on our upcoming wedding. We pretty much wanted to take her with us onto the rest of the bachelorette party! Two of us joined the wine club because the wines were soooooo good! I can't wait for our first wine shipment and to visit again! Thanks for a lovely time :) read more

Stopped here just because it was there and went in without any expectations. The staff was amazing, as are the wine offerings. Their dessert wine is delicious. We ended up joining the wine club. Go give it a shot read more

Jim Rickards gives a great winery tour. His wines are crafted the old fashioned way, slow and pure. As a result the taste is smooth and satisfying. I recommend his winery. Monty read more

Loved this winery. Extremely friendly and enganging staff. Tasty wines and kid friendly.

What a terrific find. My new wife and I visited J. Rickards on our honeymoon tour of the area and I can't express how much we enjoyed this winery. The whole place has a great personality and it really comes through in their wines. Jim's tour of the vineyards was memorable and informative. He shared with us about farming techniques, the history of the land, and even introduced us to the dogs. Sue is an awesome hostess in the tasting room and it really shows that she loves her job and enjoys talking with anyone who comes through the barn doors. If you are looking for an unpretentious winery with a tremendous product, you must visit J. Rickards. (And even if you are not looking for those things, you still MUST visit). This will be a highlight of your visit to the area. read more

I really liked it, I wish it was closer. Had a lovely, humorous, conversation with Mary and Lynn, the hosts pouring the wine. All the other guests were having a good time as well. All the wines are smooth, it was difficult to choose between them. Tasting includes bread-sticks, cheese pairings, and chocolates to go with their port. We were treated to an unscheduled personalized tour of the new wine vault with the owner, Jim, and dog Shelby. Lynn was gracious with recommendations and passes for other local wineries. Beautiful surroundings: Cherry blossom lined drive, and a nice overlook of the valley. read more

My wife and I spent a couple hours with the J. Rickards winery team. Interestingly, almost left because we thought the tasting room was closed but the team members were engaged in harvesting the wine while we were there. Tara, thanks for inviting us in! High quality wines and high quality team. Tara, Ross, Lynn and Sissy all made for an enjoyable experience. Ross showed us the harvest in process, and patiently explained the history of the winery. Never felt rushed. JR is a smaller winery. The wine tasting room was rustic from the outside but relatively modern the inside. The wines sampled were of high quality, particularly the reds and desert wines. The passion and daily connection of ownership in the operation and making of the wines is evident. Look forward to returning! Joined the wine club and cant wait for the first delivery! read more

Wonderful wine tasting experience. Mary was very knowledgeable and friendly. The wine was very good. read more

J. Rickards Winery - Mary was very knowledgeable and lots of fun! - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Cloverdale, California

Great wine. We especially liked the zinfandel and the muscat blanc dessert wine. Mary, our pourer, was a lot of fun and very knowledgeable. We also got a tour of the wine cave and who wouldn't like a Lamborghini tractor? Well worth a visit. read more

If you stop at one winery, make it this one! The Petite Sirah will change your life. Jim and Eliza are amazing.

We participated in the Winter WINEland January 13-14, 2018, and we chose this winery as our first check-in point. They warmly greeted us with our glasses with pink and/or black mustache decals attached (owner Jim has a big mustache). The whole weekend we were asked about the mustaches on our glasses! They make a lot of different wines and they are very good and very reasonably priced. We bought 3 bottles: Bettino, Chianti Mountain Road and Ancestor zin (total $114 for all 3). We visited 9 wineries over the course of the weekend and this was one of our favorites. Owner Jim is quite a character! Other wineries visited and enjoyed: Papapietro, Amista, West, Zichichi, Martorana, Mill Creek, Armida, and Porter Creek. And we stayed once again in our favorite Glen Ellen at our favorite Jack London Lodge and gratefully they survived the October wildfires and are doing well. Do not be afraid to visit the wine country. Still wonderful!!! read more

This winery was the second on a tour of four days through this valley. We were greeted by sunshine and smiles. The vineyard is unpretentious, and has excellent wine. The tasting consisted of whites and reds, but the Muscat was by far my favorite. I would have to say I definitely will return to J Rickards. From the personal attention in the tasting room to being able to see the owner unload grapes for the press, the experience was a memorable one. We were even able to taste the grapes that they used to make the Muscat. They were sweet and delicious. Jim, the owner, gave us a private tour and answered all our questions. He had extraordinary patience and shared freely his vision for his vineyard. The personal service and information that was shared made the entire experience one that I will never forget and yes, I joined the club! Don't miss this vineyard when you go to this area, you'll be glad you visited. read more

We've been members at 'J Ricks' for a couple years now and have been thrilled with both the quality of the wines and our experiences at the winery. We visited a couple weeks ago and had a great time chatting with the tasting room team --in particular Jay, who was knowledgeable and entertaining. Keep up the great work J Ricks! read more

The hostess, Christina, greeted us outside the door. Then she told us there's no charge for wine tasting. From that point on she had us hooked. My sister became a member and we bought 4 bottles of wine. The Old Zin 1908 was our favorite. Highly recommend this gem. read more

I was there with my family based on the Yelp reviews and we were so happy to visit this winery. Pam was so nice, friendly and informative. She answered all our questions and took us on a tour through the vineyards. We tasted the different kinds of grapes and wines. We also met the owner's son who was friendly and gave us some flower seeds to take home. We had a really nice experience. The wines are really good and at reasonable prices. We went to another winery charging more for the wines and realized that J. Rickards winery has quality wines and better prices. If you want a nice experience with friendly staff and great wines, visit them. We bought their wines and are willing to go back again to have a great time. read more

Great wines, great views!! Stop in, buy a bottle, sit in the gazebo and watch the world go by. Very relaxing and friendly place. Look forward to heading back up there soon! read more

This is a boutique type of winery. Excellent service and playful staff. The owner is available to talk with and has and interesting history. All the wines are good, my favorite was the Zin. We stayed at worldmark so that came with free tasting and a 20% discount on purchases. It is definitely small but worth it if you want an extremely personalized experience. Also ask about the mustaches! Jay loves taking pictures with you~ one tip: make sure to arrange a ride home. It is difficult to get uber since service is spotty and even if you have service there aren't many cars out driving. read more

Jim is great. He gives personalized attention. The view from his hilltop location is breathtaking. He built his own hilltop home which overlooks his vineyard. That was quite impressive. His wines were very good. It was the first stop on a long day of tasting so I need to go back and have them again. I find it pathetic when people come into a winery and are rude, as 2 couples from Atlanta were, but Jim handled it well. When I go back I hope there are nicer people because Jim deserves that! read more