We spent a lovely afternoon at the Grant James Vineyard. We enjoyed a brief history of the world of wine. Incredibly informative , as we dined on a delicious Summer lunch that was paired beautifully with their tastings of the day. We enjoyed : Viognier, very crisp with a slight mango and honeysuckle hint. The 2022 blush was a very dry fruity floral sip . And for the summer, they surprised us with a beautiful sweet sangria . Be prepared for some of the most amazing service you will ever get at any winery. dining on the Terrace, live music with a cool summer breeze-bring your friends, family and your dogs as well It's the perfect summer hang ! read more

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They are closed. For good. This was a gem of a winery but the collapse wasn't pretty. I wish them luck.

Great views and great tasting menu. It's on the pricier side but their wines are worth it! Limited food (just olives and cheese and crackers), but you can bring your own. Great place to relax and enjoy their wines. read more

Vineyard Grant James - Sangiovese grapes on the evening of Harvest 2025 (September) - Wineries Near Me - Ramona, California

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Wine was amazing. The server was really kind. The seating area was relaxing. I only wish I knew I could bring my own food. I assumed they'd have something to nibble on besides bar nuts. Also, maybe I ought to have asked but I was curious the region they got their grapes originally. All in all some of the best wine I ever had so well worth the visit and reasonably priced too! read more

Vineyard Grant James is one of the best wineries in San Diego County. The place is gorgeous and the covered patio offers a unique relaxing experience while you enjoy some excellent wine. The owners, Jaques and Suzanne are some of the nicest, welcoming people you will ever meet and will go out of their way you are confortable and taken care of. The wines are really good. I have witnessed the development of this winery over the years. It started with blended wines that had a small hint of residual sugar to the current big, bold single varietal wines that Suzanne skillfully produces. You can still find a few blends, along with Teroldego, Nebbiolo, Negro Amaro and other great varietals that you just don't find everywhere. For those starting their wine journey, Grant James offer the BEST sangria you will ever have. They usually have a white or pink sangria along with their signature red sangria which is absolutely fantastic! They usually have live music on weekends, and the environment is lively, fun and relaxing. I also recommend asking about their Dinner in the Vineyard series. Give Vineyard Grand James a try, They have something for every wine palate and you will be welcomed as family. read more

We had a wonderful experience, Jacque and Brooke are so Welcoming, friendly and inviting super friendly and knowledgeable. We had their wonderful wine and their Winery is very beautiful and a must see! read more

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We found this as it was on our 'Priority Wine Pass' that's about to expire so we thought we'd get a little more use out of it. While we tend to frequent wineries further west this was our first adventure to a winery on the east side of Ramona. We showed up right when they opened and were able to get a good introduction and seating before the crowd converged on the grounds! Because of the wine pass (2 for 1) we opted for both of the wine tasting options. What we didn't know was that the weekend we were there was a member pickup weekend. Boy did they get busy, and was it a good time. They were serving Chili to members and they were so kind to offer some to us knowing we weren't members. Toward the end when I went to get our last tastings I overheard members order an 'Albarino' (which we don't seem to see often) and a Whiskey Barrel Aged Syrah'. I asked about them and next thing I know we had tastings of both (both were yummy!)! In the end we really enjoyed the wine, the atmosphere, and the people. Oh, and can't forget the wandering musician playing guitar, mandolin, accordion, tin flute and steel drums! Great music, wine, people, and experiences. Well worth the trip to enjoy a lovely wine experience! read more

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If I could give more than 5 stars I would!! Visited with a friend on a rainy day and unfortunately it got heavy shortly into our visit. However the patio space is beautiful with vines hanging over and the vineyard view. There was fun live music and it looks like you can bring your own snacks and food to enjoy with their wine. A huge differentiator for this place is just how WONDERFUL the staff is, it's family owned and you can really feel the love they pour into their craft and towards their customers. They gave us so many blankets and kept apologizing for the rain (which we can't control haha). Such a wonderful business, we tried one of the whites and it was so smooth and easy to drink, will definitely be back to try more! read more

What a beautiful vineyard with an amazing staff! We love VGJ because of how welcoming the staff is, how good the wine is, how beautiful the scenery is, and that fact that it is a dog friendly place. Bonis: You can bring in your own food to enjoy with your wine. If you are looking to escape from SD for a peaceful vineyard getaway for an afternoon, VGJ is a great destination to do so. read more

Came on a Saturday and the place was buzzing! They also had love music which was nice. We only saw outdoor seating when we were there and they have a bar outside where you can order your tastings, glasses of wine or bottles. A lot of people brought their own snacks to eat while listening to music. They also gave some small cups of pretzel mix to us to enjoy with our tastings. Service was really friendly as well. For the tasting, it's $15 to try 5 wines. COMPLETELY worth it considering their pours we're very generous. I feel like I pretty much got two glasses of wine. The tasting fee is waived if you buy a bottle as well. They focus on mostly reds which I prefer. I enjoyed all the wines although I will say they tended to be on the slightly sweeter side for me. read more

Vineyard Grant James - Tasting menu on 2/12/22 - Wineries Near Me - Ramona, California

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We came here on a Thursday around 1:30PM. At the most crowded point, it was us and three other groups. We were supposed to stop by and move on to two other Vineyards, but ended up just staying because we loved it so much. Jacques really helped make our experience special. We loved hearing about how him and his wife created this "little piece of heaven." It felt like we were in their house and his hospitality was great! The wine was amazing! We got the tasting and it was nice to try so many different things. We ended up buying 7 bottles of wine to ship home so we can drink and reminisce about our trip later. Next time we come to San Diego, we'll make sure to bring our passports and go over the border to drink wine like Jacques suggested. We really loved Vineyard Grant James and can't recommend it enough! Update: 5 days after we got back and our wine already arrived! It was very well packaged too! Extremely happy with our purchase. read more

Gorgeous property overlooking the mountains and their estate vineyard. Very nice shaded outdoor seating. The folks were very nice. I wasn't a big fan of the wine, and it was $80 for a tasting for 2 with a bottle of wine to take home included. I would enjoy coming here again for the ambiance and the views even though the wine is just ok. read more

Made a special trip on a Sunday afternoon to try out this popular vineyard. Dirt roads leading up to a quiet setting surrounded by grape vines. Not many people at their outdoor patio, so had plenty of options for seating. Best value for money has to be the tasting. It's about 5 pours for around $18. Go to the outside bar and the bartenders will explain the wine being poured. Really liked the white that I had, while the remaining reds were medium bodied. Also ordered a cheese plate which paired well with the wine, though not entirely fresh. Considering the heavy handedness on the pours, we couldn't get to the last one and still leave on our own volition. Overall vibe is nice, with the only drawback is all the flies buzzing around (didn't matter where you sat). Good spot for a relaxing wine experience. read more

Vineyard Grant James - Outdoor seating - Wineries Near Me - Ramona, California

We enjoyed our afternoon at Grant James. The property is beautiful, and the wines were excellent. We enjoyed a conversation with both of the owners. So lovely and welcoming. read more

Awesome wine, great venue and engaging staff! Can't wait to bring my Sister and friends

Came here again with friends this time, and another great experience. Friendly owners and servers. *Lorri was an amazing, accommodating server. They really try to make you feel welcomed (ie gave us snacks on the house because they didn't have the charcuterie board at that time for purchase). We had just visited Turtle Rock Ridge, who didn't really want to provide splashes of their wine, so this was a much more pleasant experience!!! Thing is, there was a group of 5...we want to get 1 bottle to start off with. With everyone's slightly different taste buds, does it hurt to give a tiny splash to get a bottle of what we will enjoy?! It doesn't. Grant James delivered in that sense and they want their guests to enjoy their experience. We ended up getting 3 bottles. Their wine selection and wines are great! Their Tannat was amazing. Beautiful views and great little patio. Definitely recommend! read more

Vineyard Grant James - Enjoying the Tannat! - Wineries Near Me - Ramona, California

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Wonderful wine offerings here to blend with a knowledgeable and friendly staff and charming outdoor patio. We appreciated the flexibility we were given to use a Groupon that we had from the early days of the Covid shutdown and were very glad we did. Cole gave us a great tour of the vineyard and overview of the wines. Their wine menu is extensive with multiple varieties of red and white wines and we even got a chance to try a few wines beyond the tasting menu. It's opportunities like this that make a small boutique winery like Grant James stand out among the pack and why you should visit too. It's rare that we've found a winery where we enjoy their wines top to bottom but we found that here. Our personal favorites were the Barbera and Chardonnay and I also enjoyed seeing wines I've never seen before such as the Negroamaro and a jalapeno fortified Chianto. In addition to buying a few bottles we're strongly considering joining their wine club and will certainly be back to bring friends. My only negative is their bathrooms, a single port-a-potty. Would like to see investment in a more permanent restroom. read more

Vineyard Grant James - Tasting menu - Wineries Near Me - Ramona, California

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Grant James Winery amazing winery. Friendly staff and owner walking premises greeting you. There were people who brought their dogs. The view of Vineyard made me feel like I was overseas. The wine flight was great. Short Drive from San Diego ..closer than Temecula. It's great for afternoon with family and friends. We liked the 2021 Rose and Sauvignon Blanc was delicious. read more

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Celebrated a 3 year anniversary out in Ramona doing some wine tasting and this was our 2nd stop. We were greeted by Brooke the owners daughter. Super sweet and welcoming! We selected to do their wine tasting selection and they are pre-selected options on a list. Their patio has different styles of seating there's tables, benches, sofas, and chairs. It's awesome to have different choices to suit people's comfortability. The wine the wine the wine....... Probably will be my new fav spot! I loved every tasting! The whites are crisp, refreshing, and easy to drink. The reds have depth, great flavor, and coat your mouth perfectly. Truly enjoyed this spot! The owner actually came over to chat with us about even they have and trips they plan for their club members, all sounded super fun! Had such a good time that I only snapped one picture. Great view of their grape vines and the Ramona mountain. They have live music, Will definitely be back :) read more

Vineyard Grant James - Wineries Near Me - Ramona, California

We are from Rancho Bernardo, so it takes same amount of time for us to go the vineyard at Temecula or Ramona. We always choose Temecula due to the number of options we have it there. This is the first time we been in a vineyard at Ramona and we are very glad we did. We were here for friends Birthday Party. I was pleasantly surprised at the atmosphere here. Kids had lot of fun running around the fields. Really good wine, great ambiance, and really nice knowledgeable and friendly owners. Top Wines They are known their good red wines/ * Barbera is the best Wine: clove, lengthy finish * Syrah * Sangiovese Highs * Great Wines * Great location if your are going on Ramona side. * Great for watching the Sun Set, high on the hill. * Outside Ranch Atmosphere is great Lows * No Food I will go there again for great wines, good atmosphere and amazing powners. read more

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MAKE THE TRIP!! Stop making excuses, Romona is not that far away, and this wine is so good that you will appreciate the effort that you out into it. Staff is very friendly and nice. This is the main reason we come here, but as a bonus the wine is very good. Bring friends and family because this is a nice place where you can put up with anyone after a couple of glasses. You can also bring your own food. Which is awesome! Make the dive and come up and have some fun!!! read more

Love this spot! We went on a Saturday and enjoyed the super pretty view of the vines and hills, fun live music, friendly staff, etc. The wine is delicious! We did a tasting and ended up purchasing a bottle of the Aquarius and the and the Bellatrix. The owner was so friendly and brought out wine and a cheese plate for us. I definitely recommend! read more

The best winery out in Ramona! There is a wine for everyone to enjoy and the tasting patio brings a lovely atmosphere to sip too. The owners match the setting and provide amazing hospitality and service. read more

My favorite winery in San Diego! Come for the wine but stay for the hospitality. They specialize in Italian and spanish reds, delicious always read more

One of my favorite wineries in Ramona!!! They have amazing wines and the customer service is impeccable. They make you feel like family here

We had an INCREDIBLE afternoon at Grant James for my mom's 50th birthday. Since it was a Monday when we visited, we missed the weekend crowd and shared the patio with 2 other small groups. The owners were out of town that weekend and Cole was taking great care of our group of 6. We brought our own charcuterie board/snacks, dessert and water which was perfect. The grounds are really nice, the patio with the vines/shade was beautiful and well-decorated. The wine was delicious - we LOVED every wine from the tasting flight. We even had the pleasure of being Coles first wine tour! We wouldn't have been able to even tell, he was a natural! We stocked up on wine and made amazing memories. Thank you so much Cole for taking care of my mom on her special day, we can't wait to come back and visit!!! read more

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Wonderful people and scrumptious wine. Beautiful surroundings too. You can take your own food too!

I'm a harvest host member as one I was fortunate to stay on there property overnight This place is a gem the wines are amazingly delicious from there Chardonnay to the reds. My fav was The delphinus mix red The host and owner Are so accommodating and a pleasure to talk to. I am definitely coming back and sharing this to support them. Oh did I mention they are super dog friendly? They are .. read more

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Some places you visit can make a lasting impression. Our mini vacation mapped out about 10 wineries we'd chosen to explore.  Vineyard Grant James was one of them and it was our first stop on day 2. Due to acquiring a bolt in our tire through the hills, the visit was brief, but we made time to have a full tasting. We relaxed while we took in the extraordinary view, sipped on wine and left with a couple of bottles.  Susanne, the winemaker was very accommodating.  She went through the descriptions of each wine we tried, checked on us regularly to answer any questions, gave us directions to a place in town to get the tire repaired, and even said if we get stuck, call her and she will send help.  WOW!  That's some old fashion hospitality.     It's always a bummer when you get a glitch in your day, but you never know what might happen next -  After getting the tire repaired, we proceeded to winery stop 2 and on to winery stop 3, where we decided we liked Vineyard Grant James best that day, and if we hurried, we might make it back before closing. A quick phone call and the kind voice of Jaques, who said "come on back", had us there in no time.  It's evident the owners, Susanne and Jaques Sapier, of Vineyard Grant James, strive to make an impression that will keep guests returning.  The 5 wines offered on the tasting, from Chardonnay to Zin, were all pleasant and I'd be happy to serve any one of them to my guests. It's no surprise, while on our earlier visit, Greg and Lisa, a couple sitting near us, suggested we order the entire tasting, because they're all good!  That's a hard claim to stand by.  But I agree.  My favorite is a toss up between the Delphinus and the Zinfandel but I'm not discounting the others, it's just what I was in the mood for.  If I lived closer, I'm sure I would be swapping up my bottle choice and looking forward to what's new on the menu.   We couldn't ask for a better experience.  Great wine, new friends, weekend music, food trucks, cute animals, fire pits and ambiance.  It was hard to leave -  When you're choosing your winery visits, add this one to your list -  TWICE!  Pamela CARPE the heck out of this DIEM! read more

Vineyard Grant James - Friends (photo credit Cindy H.) - Wineries Near Me - Ramona, California

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We were driving around Ramona and decided to stop by this winery. This vineyard has a lovely mountain view. We tasted both red and white wines. All wines taste different, we liked most of the wines, and got a couple bottles to take home. The wine host, Cole was friendly and knowledgeable. We'll be back. read more

Vineyard Grant James - Wineries Near Me - Ramona, California

We ventured out to Ramona from downtown San Diego on a Monday night. We went for the wine tasting and finished with a glass of our favorites. The owners were absolutely lovely and made the experience so personal. We were so lucky to have the entire patio to ourselves and were able to spend several hours sipping wine and looking out to the quiet hills. I have absolutely no complaints and will come back at the next opportunity. read more

Vineyard Grant James - Vines - Wineries Near Me - Ramona, California

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We went for a hike with friends in Ramona and decided to go have lunch at a winery. The first winery we had planned to go to actually closed for tastings so we had to scramble for plan B, and we are extremely happy we had to scramble. We decided on Grant James and was very pleased with the service, ambiance and the wine. We had 3 couples and 8 kids (all girls under 9 years of age). We sat out back under a beautiful oak tree. The girls ran around and played with the vineyard dogs which were so nice and enjoyed the play time. The wine was really good and would go back in a heartbeat. Highly recommend going here, it's worth the short drive from San Diego! read more

A beautiful setting to sip wine. All of the staff and especially Lorri and Barry were knowledgeable, fun, and attentive. The wines were so delish, I joined their club! read more

Susanne Sapier decided to live the dream of owning a small, family winery and through her winemaking skills open up Vineyard Grant James just outside of the town of Ramona on old Julian Highway. The winery is named after Susanne's son Grant, and her father James. I have been a member of the wine club since the beginning and have enjoyed watching this small family vineyard continue to grow. Grant James specialize in estate grape and local Ramona grapes to produce many varieties of white and red wines. Susanne has created the ultimate Ramona Valley wine destination which includes fantastic wines, beautiful vineyards, and a friendly atmosphere. The tasting room is located outside so you can take in the warm rays of the Southern California sun. I have always been warmly greeted by the entire staff especially Barbara and Allie. Jacque with his big smile who is Susanne husband also helps out in the tasting room when it gets busy and always has an interesting story or two to tell. Many events are held throughout the year: dinner in the vines, live music, food tasting, help with harvesting the grapes, as well as, many more events. I have tried many wineries in Southern California and I would definitely add Vineyard Grant James to be a part of any wine tasting adventure. This up-and-coming winery is heightened by Vineyard Grant James's welcoming and warm hospitality and made appealing by its personable winemaker and lovely wines. I cannot wait until my next visit. read more

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I love Vineyard Grant James! I have been here before last summer & decided to take my boyfriend here to try it out. I purchased a LivingSocial deal: -$10 for a wine tasting for 2 people -6 one-ounce tastings We were instantly welcomed with smiles & our servers were absolutely splendid! We sat in the gorgeous patio that overlooked the scenic winery. Our servers served us very generous samples of each with descriptions on how they were made: Bellatrix - sweet & our favorite! I love Muscat & this had Orange Muscat in it! Phoenix Volantis Aquarius Delphinus & another sample of your favorite, ours was Bellatrix! In addition, we ordered the Cheese Ball (served with crackers & olives) for $8 & the cheese was a great pairing with each of the wines! Last summer, I tried this winery's Sangria & fell in love & was notified that they will have it again this summer. I am definitely coming back! read more

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Wow, have I learned a lot about this valley in our week here. I didn't think there could be quality wine tasting in San Diego. I am thrilled to report that this winery rivals experiences in Napa or Paso- and it's in So Cal!! They have a beautiful outdoor patio and are open for tastings, as long as you wear a mask when you're not at your table. The wines are lovely and are even fairly priced for their quality. We can't wait to come back! read more

Amazing winery! We have been members for over 5 years, Jacques and Susanne are truly incredible, we feel at home every time we visit. Wine quality is the best! View of the valley, especially during sunset is breathtaking. read more

Vineyard Grant James - Wineries Near Me - Ramona, California

Outstanding wines, lovely location, truly friendly service, relaxing tasting area, easy parking, and pleasant musical accompaniment on weekends. A very pleasant experience, a very enjoyable winetasting! read more

I have been to Grant James many times and have liked the staff until now. The last couple times I have been there I have been completely ignored by the staff. All the other patrons that are sitting at the tables and couches were served wine and it was brought to their table. I was never offered wine at my table. I feel the quality of the wine has gone downhill. Obviously only certain members are catered to you but others are ignored. It seems like there's always new trainees behind the bar. I think I will take my business elsewhere. read more

By far the best California wines in Ramona, highly recommended crisp whites and bold reds, must see.