Had a wine & chocolate tasting with my spouse here in January. The tasting pairs a wine with a chocolate, and the experience of flavors is great. What wasn't so great, was they had a promotion for BOGO wine tastings posted on a podium sign outside of the tasting room for Fridays in January (it was Friday). When it was time to check out, the workers had no idea they were advertising that promotion, and they did not honor it. I wanted to walk them outside and point the sign out to them, but decided to just eat the cost instead. It ended up costing the 2 of us $100. It was good, but not worth it. If you're going to have a promotion like that, at least let your workers know. It was mildly insulting
Matt Ryder
We went to the tasting room across the street first which was just a bit more elevated of an experience. This place felt cheap (decor from World Market vibes) and the charcuterie felt like it came from Ralph’s with paper plates and plastic silverware. Would definitely try other places first/skip this one.
Michael Teoli
We chose to do a tasting here based off their cute/fancy atmosphere and we're so glad we tried them out! We did their regular tasting flight and were a bit nervous as we didn't enjoy the Pinot Blanc, which was the first on the list. We thought we might have made a mistake, but the following three were a different tune completely! Specifically the last two! We really liked the Vermentino, but the 2021 Pinot and the 2020 Syrah were fantastic!
I gave this 4 starts as opposed to five as I felt like the price point was a tad hot for what it was. Both wines we liked were marked at $60 (and the 4-wine tasting was $35). We taste a lot of wine and have a pretty good feel for price points, and this was just a bit hot. If they were 45 or maybe even $50 bottles, we probably would have left with both. Or even if they waved the $35 tasting if you bought two bottles (a common practice in the area), we probably would have gotten the two bottles as well... But it was just too rich for our blood.
All of that said... FOUR STARS is still GREAT! Definitely go here and test for yourselves! It has a nice, relaxing atmosphere and a fair amount of seating! I'd definitely go back. Highly recommended!
Ethan Frank
Place was kind of pricey for what was given. The wine tasting had the smallest amount of wine for $35. Could've gotten one glass of wine for cheaper and probably would've been more than all 4 tastings. I understand it should be small amounts but every time I've gone wine tasting, they always give more than what this place does. The cheese board was good but also pricey AF.
Stephanie Garay
We stopped into J. Wilkes to read our private vows before our Courthouse wedding. The team was so warm and friendly for this spontaneous moment, literally going above and beyond to help make this a special moment (even bringing us tissues when we got emotional). We enjoyed their sparkling wine and now have somewhere to visit and walk down memory lane, each time we’re in Santa Barbara!
Billy Starnes
Audrey and Mickey have always been great to us. Awesome service and just great people in general. We love the wines here.
Song Ja Ha
Best wine, best service, always the best time with wonderful membership!!!!
Andrew Turner
Awesome wines! Joined as a club member a couple years ago! Nice tasting room.
Samantha Guerrero
Amazing experience every time, tasty wines and the staff is phenomenal !
Alison Gasenica
There’s no better way to experience downtown Santa Barbara than by enjoying the delicious wine at J Wilkes and sitting outside on State Street. The service and staff are excellent, especially if you have the pleasure of having Mickey serve you! All of the wine is great so there is no wrong choice in what you’d like to enjoy when you visit. Our favorites include the Zinfandel and Syrah. I highly recommend J Wilkes to anyone visiting the area and locals alike!
We absolutely love this place!! Shout out to Mickey and Audrey!! Wine is yummy and the people are the best!!
Amber Noelle
I have been a member for a while now and it’s my favorite wine tasting spot downtown! The staff are incredibly friendly and make me feel so welcome. Mickey and Audrey and all the staff offer a warm, friendly, Santa Barbara local feel with their excellent customer service. The wine is spectacular and exquisite in taste. In addition, it is a great spot to people watch and enjoy the downtown scene. Thank you J. Wilkes for making this a premier member spot as well as great for people to stop in and have a tasting. :) I always look forward to bringing my friends and sharing the wonderful experience here. Cheers!
Laura Corral
Amazing staff! Love the experience of tasting different wines every time I visit this tasting room. In particular I enjoy and love the Cabernet Sauvignon! The facility is clean and has great vibes.my favorite person of all time Mickey!!
Jefferson Baker
We have been members of J Wilkes ever since we did a wine and food pairing four years ago. We fell in love with their Lagrein (one of the few California wineries that produce it) and joined right away. We stayed with them through Covid, doing our tastings with disposable cups out on State street. The servers are always friendly, their tasting room is less than a block from Stearn’s Wharf and their wines are superb. Definitely recommended!
JoAnn Jennings
We are members and we visit regularly. The staff is friendly accommodating and fun to be around. The wines are excellent. We are never disappointed. ❤️
Had a wine & chocolate tasting with my spouse here in January. The tasting pairs a wine with a chocolate, and the experience of flavors is great. What wasn't so great, was they had a promotion for BOGO wine tastings posted on a podium sign outside of the tasting room for Fridays in January (it was Friday). When it was time to check out, the workers had no idea they were advertising that promotion, and they did not honor it. I wanted to walk them outside and point the sign out to them, but decided to just eat the cost instead. It ended up costing the 2 of us $100. It was good, but not worth it.
If you're going to have a promotion like that, at least let your workers know. It was mildly insulting
We went to the tasting room across the street first which was just a bit more elevated of an experience. This place felt cheap (decor from World Market vibes) and the charcuterie felt like it came from Ralph’s with paper plates and plastic silverware. Would definitely try other places first/skip this one.
We chose to do a tasting here based off their cute/fancy atmosphere and we're so glad we tried them out! We did their regular tasting flight and were a bit nervous as we didn't enjoy the Pinot Blanc, which was the first on the list. We thought we might have made a mistake, but the following three were a different tune completely! Specifically the last two! We really liked the Vermentino, but the 2021 Pinot and the 2020 Syrah were fantastic!
I gave this 4 starts as opposed to five as I felt like the price point was a tad hot for what it was. Both wines we liked were marked at $60 (and the 4-wine tasting was $35). We taste a lot of wine and have a pretty good feel for price points, and this was just a bit hot. If they were 45 or maybe even $50 bottles, we probably would have left with both. Or even if they waved the $35 tasting if you bought two bottles (a common practice in the area), we probably would have gotten the two bottles as well... But it was just too rich for our blood.
All of that said... FOUR STARS is still GREAT! Definitely go here and test for yourselves! It has a nice, relaxing atmosphere and a fair amount of seating! I'd definitely go back. Highly recommended!
Place was kind of pricey for what was given. The wine tasting had the smallest amount of wine for $35. Could've gotten one glass of wine for cheaper and probably would've been more than all 4 tastings. I understand it should be small amounts but every time I've gone wine tasting, they always give more than what this place does. The cheese board was good but also pricey AF.
We stopped into J. Wilkes to read our private vows before our Courthouse wedding. The team was so warm and friendly for this spontaneous moment, literally going above and beyond to help make this a special moment (even bringing us tissues when we got emotional). We enjoyed their sparkling wine and now have somewhere to visit and walk down memory lane, each time we’re in Santa Barbara!
Audrey and Mickey have always been great to us. Awesome service and just great people in general. We love the wines here.
Best wine, best service, always the best time with wonderful membership!!!!
Awesome wines! Joined as a club member a couple years ago! Nice tasting room.
Amazing experience every time, tasty wines and the staff is phenomenal !
There’s no better way to experience downtown Santa Barbara than by enjoying the delicious wine at J Wilkes and sitting outside on State Street. The service and staff are excellent, especially if you have the pleasure of having Mickey serve you! All of the wine is great so there is no wrong choice in what you’d like to enjoy when you visit. Our favorites include the Zinfandel and Syrah. I highly recommend J Wilkes to anyone visiting the area and locals alike!
Restaurantji Recommends
We absolutely love this place!! Shout out to Mickey and Audrey!! Wine is yummy and the people are the best!!
I have been a member for a while now and it’s my favorite wine tasting spot downtown! The staff are incredibly friendly and make me feel so welcome. Mickey and Audrey and all the staff offer a warm, friendly, Santa Barbara local feel with their excellent customer service. The wine is spectacular and exquisite in taste. In addition, it is a great spot to people watch and enjoy the downtown scene. Thank you J. Wilkes for making this a premier member spot as well as great for people to stop in and have a tasting. :) I always look forward to bringing my friends and sharing the wonderful experience here. Cheers!
Amazing staff! Love the experience of tasting different wines every time I visit this tasting room. In particular I enjoy and love the Cabernet Sauvignon! The facility is clean and has great vibes.my favorite person of all time Mickey!!
We have been members of J Wilkes ever since we did a wine and food pairing four years ago. We fell in love with their Lagrein (one of the few California wineries that produce it) and joined right away. We stayed with them through Covid, doing our tastings with disposable cups out on State street. The servers are always friendly, their tasting room is less than a block from Stearn’s Wharf and their wines are superb. Definitely recommended!
We are members and we visit regularly. The staff is friendly accommodating and fun to be around. The wines are excellent. We are never disappointed. ❤️
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