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    James River Cellars Winery

    4.2 (153 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 6:00 PM

    Services - James River Cellars Winery

    Venue rental

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    Pamela M.

    We were really excited to try James River Cellars Winery mainly because it was just down the street from my friend's house, and two because the videos and photos we saw online made it look like a great spot. What we were most looking forward to was the wine flights. When we arrived, the person at the entrance was super friendly and asked what we were looking for since there was an event happening that day. He pointed us in the direction of where to order drinks and mentioned that someone would walk us through the wines as we selected them. Each flight includes four different wines, but once we got up to order, we quickly realized we weren't going to get the full tasting experience. Since it was a Friday, flights were served in plastic containers instead of glass. When we asked why, the man helping us said, "Are you kidding me? There's 300 people out there." I assume this meant they didn't have enough glassware for the crowd or couldn't keep up with washing them. They do give you a single glass you can pour your samples into, if you prefer drinking from glass. We were handed a list of wines to choose from, but unless we asked specific questions, we weren't offered any information or recommendations. I don't know much about wine, but I do know I like sweet ones so I chose the four that were marked as sweet. Seating is first come, first served, and there was live music playing, which was a nice touch. That said, we weren't sure where the "300 people" were, as it didn't feel particularly crowded. One downside was the flies that were really annoying, which made it hard to relax and enjoy our drinks. We ended up leaving shortly after finishing our wines. There were a lot of dogs around maybe part of the event, though we weren't sure. Overall, it wasn't a bad experience, but it didn't live up to the hype or the pictures we'd seen. If you're looking for a more traditional wine tasting with glass flights and staff guidance, I'd recommend going on a different day or calling ahead to find out what to expect.

    Lilly B.

    This local winery is in a big house! I was a little confused on how to get it but just went right through the front door. There are seating options inside and out and everyone was super friendly. Flight tastings were $16 and you could chose a variety or choose your own. Bottles were a great price and I was happy to take some home!

    Rachel S.

    Went to visit a friend in Richmond and she took us to this lovely winery! Staff was friendly and nice and helped us with our flights. I like dry wines so we stuck with dry whites and got a bottle of rose. We sat outside with the fire-pit on a rare warm January day! Definitely recommend checking this spot out!

    Cousins Maine Lobster
    Racquel H. D.

    I've always loved the ambiance of this local winery. I remember when they started and were small. It's so nice to see how much they've grown. The whole winery is just so inviting. I got the sweet wine flight and as usual each one was right on point. Perfect tastes for all. All of the staff is so nice and welcoming. They had a food truck and a band on a beautiful day. Cousins Maine Lobster was so good. The lobster tots and clam chowder were perfect with the flight. Can't wait to go back.

    Winifred W.

    I'm starting with WOW !!!! It's been a few years since my last visit and the inside has been expanded. This was suppose to be a quick stop to pick up a gift. I was unable to reach my contact for the gift selection, so hey this was easy, ME TIME. Looking around at this BEAUTIFUL, and RELAXING place I decided to have "A Glass". I had The Hanover White that sweet, but not too, just PERFECT and it was made On Site. There are several selections that are made on site. I'm sorry that I was alone because I would've had a flight. lol. The Wine Expert/Server was Kirsten and she was the icing on the Cake. First of all, I immediately felt welcome from her Kind Spirit and patience. The staff is extremely knowledgeable of Wine. She offered SAMPLES!!! This is a place to Chill and enjoy. The inside is beautifully decorated and has tons gifts and snacks. There's outdoor seating up and down stairs to take in the serene and beautifully well kept grounds. Need to impress that special someone This Is Your Place.

    Red tasting and notes
    Michele F.

    My quest to explore Virginia wines took me to James River Cellars today. It's a nice location that offers indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a covered area in the back for music. I first did a white tasting consisting of Petit Manseng (which I found very tart), Vidal Blanc (fruity but also tart), Snowy white (sweet and tart) and my favorite, Chardonel (smooth and balanced). I then did a red tasting of merlot (smooth but tart), Hanover red (fruity and smooth), and my two favorites Rad Red (smooth) and Petit Verdot (smooth and balanced). For reference, I tend not to like oaky or tanniny wines. Out of the VA wineries I've tried so far, this is my favorite. I'd definitely come back. The staff was super helpful and let me try some wines before I decided on my flight tastings.

    Entrance
    Ry L.

    I've been here for wine festivals in the past and it's always been a blast. Yesterday was my first time doing a tasting inside. I went for their Shark Week special: a wine flight paired with different flavored Goldfish. There are a few seats around the bar area. I posted up in the corner at a barrel table adjacent to the window overlooking the patio. First annoyance: they don't accept American Express. They do, however, have tap to pay (Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, etc.), otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to purchase anything. The flight paired with the Goldfish was a fun experience. I personally switched the last two wines because the sweeter Hanover White paired better with the Cupcake Goldfish. I wanted to take home a bottle or two of the Hanover White, but oh well - my AMEX was not accepted. Second annoyance: there were too many flies and fruit flies which made me uncomfortable. The fruit flies took over my empty glasses as I worked my way through my flight. Luckily I didn't see any floating around in my wine, and fortunately the Goldfish were served in small cups with tops to cover my uneaten batches. I would've been more comfortable having this experience at home. I'll continue to support this winery for its outdoor events. Although they had some really cute decorations in celebration of Shark Week, the establishment just isn't my vibe. The front lawn is beautiful, but it was way to hot to enjoy anything outside on the patio. Lastly, service was excellent. The guy at the bar who served me my flight was very kind and helpful.

    Wine flights
    Jessica L.

    We popped in after typing "wine" on Yelp after our lunch in Richmond, about to head back to the 757. I'm SO glad this popped up, as we really enjoyed ourselves here this afternoon. I was sold on the wine slush, but ended up getting the build your own sampler for $16. Bobbi helped us, and she was a real hoot- she kinda made the whole experience for us to be quite honest. She set the tone and was great and very knowledgeable (mixed with humor!). There's a ton of seating, not only in the wrap around porch, but they also have inside seating, and an entire pavilion in the back. If it's a nice day outside, there will be plenty of room to sit. We sat outside in the front and really enjoyed the beautiful spring weather that seems to go too quickly. We are planning to have a group outing here with a friend from RVA! We'll definitely be back, and we recommend anyone check it out!

    Wine and chocolate tasting week
    Aida S.

    Wine and chocolate pairing - who can say no to that? We went on Friday around 4:30pm, they do tastings until 6pm and vinery closes at 7pm. It was freezing cold outside but inside it was nice and warm beautifully decorated for holidays. There were not that many people and since they have two levels we easily found a table. At the bar area we got our wines paired with different chocolates and some extra snacks! Definitely try smoked Gouda pimiento cheese yum! They allow outside food and non alcoholic drinks too. Wines that we had for tasting were not our favorites, they were all mostly dry wines but chocolates did help a bit. Very nice vinery and people!

    Outdoor sign
    Troy B.

    This winery is very close to where we are currently living so on the first warm and sunny day we decided to try it. It has a pretty large parking area and there are indoor and outdoor areas. The outdoor areas have some covered and uncovered areas. In addition, they have a side that allows smoking which we took advantage of to have a cigar with the wine! They offer wine flights as well as by the glass and bottle. We did a mix flight with mostly white and one red. Some of the whites were just to sweet for us, but that is a personal preference. My wife ended up finding a white she like and I liked the Rad Red. A very mellow red. They allow you to bring in food and they also sell cheese plates. We spent about 1-1.5 hours relaxing with the wine samples! It was very nice. They also have wine slushies which we plan to try next. It is definitely a place we will return to and enjoy again!

    Ron C.

    This is a cool little winery. They have a lot of seating outside whether it be on the side or front of the building or the large enclosed space in the back. The wine here wasn't bad at all. I enjoyed the 4 wine tasting I did and probably prefer the white wines over the reds. It's definitely worth a visit on a nice day to sit outside and enjoy the weather with a little vino.

    Santa Red
    Lauren K.

    Had an amazing afternoon at James River Cellars today with a friend from out of town! We signed up for the cookie decorating social. Tickets included 3 cookies to decorate and one glass of wine. I got the Santa red (my favorite every year!) and my friend got Hanover white (sweet and refreshing) husband got rose (fruity and floral) We love James River cellars and highly recommend- especially when they host fun events like this!

    Shar H.

    Love a day party! The turkey leg was fire! Very nice place to chill out. Wise the wine wasn't screw cap. Cork bottles set a different ambience. The cigar vendor was good too.

    Sweet Flight and choose your own

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    2 years ago

    Very,very nice folks. Great winery, great wines. Love the Petit Mansing. They treated us so wonderfully.

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    3 years ago

    Great winery. Service is top notch!! Love the Ambiance- the landscaping is gorgeous. Can't wait to come back.

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    Had a lovely time! Live music at the pavilion behind the main building. Lotsa shade and ceiling fans running too.

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    One of my favorite wineries. Perfect for tastings, flights and a date night. The proximIty to Richmond is an added bonus

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    Page 2 of 4

    Ask the Community - James River Cellars Winery

    Does the winery offer small plates of food?

    They offer small cheese plates. On Fridays they have food trucks at the winery.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - James River Cellars Winery

    We enjoyed the Chardonnay and the Vidal Blanc for whites; and took home bottles of the Rad Red and the Montpelier for reds.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Optional outdoor seating.

    James River Cellars Winery - wineries - Updated July 2026

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