LJ Crafted Wines - Wines & Tastings

A lovely wine bar with tasteful red and white selections for fair prices by the glass or flights , some from Napa. Also has some small bites and charcuterie, would highly recommend the Sangiovese and the bacon wrapped dates! Service was welcoming, resourceful, and efficient. Won’t hesitate to swing by again when I’m in the area!

I've been a member of LJ Crafted Wines for nine months and I'm a frequent visitor. Recently, I took my dad, who was visiting from New Jersey, for a tasting and it was awesome! James was super friendly, attentive, and really knew his stuff. We enjoyed a few wine tastings, shared a tasty meat and cheese board, and I picked up my wine of the month. LJ Crafted Wines never disappoints, and James' amazing service made our visit extra special. Highly recommend!

First time here and I can tell you the experience was definitely a five star. I was served by Ray who took the time to tell me all about the wines and what makes them unique. I was fortunate to meet the owners who took the time to thank me for joining the club. If you are a wine lover but don’t like the headache you get from wine with Sulfates and preservatives… do you yourself favor and take the drive to La Jolla- you won’t regret it.

The wine selection was excellent — really good quality without being pretentious. The staff was super friendly and made the whole vibe relaxed and welcoming. Charcuterie board was fantastic — fresh, generous, and perfectly paired with the wines.

We were very impressed with the quality of their wines, especially given that they are a wine bar that makes their wines in a brewery style/environment. We took one of each of their wines. Customer service was great, very friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable people.

🗣️ Was the best winery in San Diego California! Met the owner and learned the story behind LJ crafted wines! The wine is arguably the best I've had in recent years. I HIGHLY recommend you visit, sip and enjoy the amazing taste! TRUST ME! follow on Twitter at ashleyweis4

One of the nice place for wine tasting I have ever been. I am not that much into wine but went out with my friends and had a really good time. The owner was very nice and he explained about all the kinds of wine they had and I really appreciate what he did. I Definitely suggest this place.

Amazing service, fantastic wines, great ambiance, and a powerful + thoughtful mission to reduce/eliminate wasteful packaging and products in the wine industry. We loved the wine tasting flights - it was a really fun experience that we weren't expecting! Would definitely recommend this place.

One of my favorite spots for a glass of wine. They always start you off with a complimentary taste of one of their wines, it's a nice touch. The zinfandel is usually my go-to or I'll get the full bodied red flight. Everyone is very friendly and knowledgeable here and the atmosphere is inviting. I haven't tried any food yet but they offer small bites.

We were excited to find this tasting room when walking around La Jolla! We came in about half an hour before it closed on Friday and received great service. Everyone working there was super friendly and attentive. We were greeted with a tasting of the rosé which we both really enjoyed and then I tried the lighter bodied red tasting and my friend tried the white wine tasting. Overall my favorites were the rosé and Pinot noir. The Chardonnay my friend had was also really good. Also love the sustainability aspects of it all being poured directly from the barrels.

I popped into LJ Crafted Wines for a networking night and was delighted with the entire experience of the event and this venue. Although the space was JUST ENOUGH for the 50+ folks we had for the eve, we all had a wonderful time experiencing the wine (and seltzer waters for those of us not partaking in drinking). I greatly appreciated learning about the unique wine offerings and how wine is served straight from the barrels. I most especially loved their reusable and sustainable concept with one selling wine in bottles with the option to return/recycle. What a great and mindful concept! For folks who are wine aficionados (or just want a great spot to hang with friends in the eve) I highly recommend checking LJ crafted wines out!

I absolutely love LJ Wines! The wines, vibe and service is amazing. This place is SUPER dog friendly. We sat outside and everyone comes by asking to pet my sweet girl, making her feel so welcome and loved. It's rare for her to lie down and relax anywhere away from home, and when she did here, my heart melted. Also, the wine tastings are perfect. There is something for every taste. I couldn't ask for a better atmosphere to chill on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Everything was so amazing! Our server Molly gave us a 10/10 experience. She was so helpful and knowledgeable. It was the perfect spot for a girls night dinner! I will definitely be coming back and buying wine to take home!

Was here again Saturday evening -- to enjoy the wine and the band that was playing. My wife and I enjoyed both very much. We started with a pinot for me and a merlot for my wife -- both excellent, but the pinot had the edge. So next round was pinot for both of us. We also ordered the almond trio which was a tasty snack. Parking was easy to find right across the street and service was top notch -- we were very well cared for. The owner even stopped by a couple times to check on us and make sure we were happy. Looking forward to our next visit!

It's a cute spot in Bird Rock with good wine. I'm glad we discovered it. Parking can be hard in the area so give yourself some extra time to find street parking I didn't try the food at all so I can't comment on that

LOVE LJ Crafted Wines. My favorite winery in San Diego. We recently hosted a networking event here and the staff, wine and everything were 11/10. Couldn't recommend more highly whether it's for a girls night, date or company event!

The staff were friendly and made great suggestions for the menu. The wine was amazing and will definitely be coming back to try this again!

A nice assortment of wines for everyone's taste. The staff have a great understanding of where the wines are produced and the process used. The food options pair well with drinking wine.

They make all wines in house and greet you with a free sample of the wine of the week. Very cute place and can watch the sunset if you sit outside. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Definitely worth a visit!

I like LJ for their sustainability efforts and variety. My favorites here are the Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Sauvignon. They have a kitchen with small bites to accompany your wine. LJ Crafted Wines is situated in the heart of Bird Rock. Check out an epic sunset then stop in for a flight or a glass. There are many restaurants up and down the street to discover. Cheers!

LJ Crafted Wines was the perfect place to stop by on an early Saturday afternoon. The staff was very welcoming and attentive. It was also fun to hear how they make their wine. They had barrels of grapes in the back that they were using to make a wine. You could sit indoors or outdoors. We ordered two flights of wine and a hummus plate as a snack. We also purchased a bottle of the 2019 Grenache that comes in a reusable glass bottle. I will definitely be back to fill it up! The outdoors was dog friendly and there was plenty of street parking.

Celebrated getting engaged here! Beautiful wine bar--love their patio, staff, and wine flights

Love love love!! Very cute sustainable wine tasting room. They use refillable bottles to reduce waste and have large barrels to fill from in the tasting room. They also offer some light snacks like olive trio, charcuterie, etc. We ordered the light red tasting flight and I loved all three but the Sangiovese was my favorite. It was bright and fruit forward without being in your face. The only reason this is not 5 stars is because it is very pricey. The cheapest bottle was $32 and the small charcuterie board was $34. Totally understand that the prices help keep them sustainable but just keep this in mind before you visit!

Favorite place for unique wines, indoor and outdoor seating. Dates, meetings, or even a place to work. Staff is awesome and knowledgeable.

What a passionate staff members work there! I stopped by for a glass of wine and walked out trying a tasting flight and another glass of Zinfandel. You just want to sit and listen to everything that employees had to say about restaurant's history, wine production and their wine of course

One of my favorite place for a Sunday funday away from the crowd of drunken endless mimosa woo girls and bros. I joined their wine club about 6 months ago and have enjoyed the perks of it. FREE to join, you'll need to buy 1 wine "growler" a month (it also comes with a 20% discount from the listed price). You'll also get 2 free tastings ($15 each) a month to bring a friend to join. As I mentioned earlier, the "growlers" is an environmentally great way to take home wine with their reusable 1L bottles. Yes, that's right, 1 liter, which is 1/3 more than usual bottle of wines. The wine-tenders are friendly and knowledgeable. Have yet to try their cutting board, but looks good.

This is a terrific wine bar. Lowell and his team do a great job in this delightful place. Food is great too. Check out my pics. Wine served directly out of the cask with their proprietary system. Refillable growlers to take home. No trash. Closed loop!

Finally had the chance to stop in and visit LJ crafted wines- after seeing the space under construction it was nice to pay them a visit. I learned they are celebrating their 1 year anniversary soon! Wow I didn't realize it took me that long! Needless to say we had a great experience. We sat at the bar and started with their tastings (6 tastings for $12), the tastings varies from rose, zinfandel, chardonnay, viognese, pinot noir and their cabernet. My favorite of the night was definitely the pinot noir- which was shocking as I typically go for cab's. The taste of their pinot is nice and balanced- it was a great way to cap off my work week! It was so good I decided to get two more glasses my bf went for their cab which had hints of mocha and a stronger taste. The staff was very friendly and welcoming- special shout out to Michelle! For being so sweet to us. We enjoyed their cheese plate which had a nice combo of three cheeses (the one that stuck was their blue cheese, yum! It was aged to perfection. I'm excited to have LJ crafted wines a few miles from my place and highly recommend to those looking for a nice setting to enjoy great wine! We will be back.

One of favorite new wine bars in San Diego. It's an intimate place fun for an early Saturday evening . My friends and I were greeted and offered complementary glasses of wine . They have a great selection of wines and couple different assortments of snacks. I got a glass of white wine and a charcuterie board with cheese , meat and bread. The whole staff was very knowledgeable on all things wine . The wine comes straight from barrels . The wine tastes great. My friends and I will definitely be back for another visit.

One of my favorite spots for a glass of wine or a tasting with my girlfriends. The staff here is so friendly and knowledgeable on wine. The wine comes straight from the barrels so they reduce the use of glass/plastic and it tastes great as well! I recommend their red blend!

Came here with my girlfriend on a Sunday evening for a quick tasting while we were in the neighborhood. Sat outside and ordered a flight each. Gave our California drivers licenses to the server Bianca. She bent and stared at my ID for about a minute and asked me if my eye color changed...I have blue eyes, my ID says blue. Did the same thing to my girlfriend. Thought it was really odd and already threw me off, but my girlfriend convinced me to not let it ruin our time. She returned about 8 minutes later and said I can't serve you today because of your ID's. I proceeded to show her my hole punched New Jersey drivers license with the same exact information and about 8 other cards with my name on them. She wouldn't even look at my other ID and said you can show it to me again if you want, which I did. She said yeah I can't serve you. We are 24 and both look on the younger side but never has this happened even when we still had our out-of-state licenses. The more annoying part was she waited almost ten minutes before telling us she wouldn't be able to serve us. She gave us back our ID's took our order then came back 10 minutes later only to decide to refuse to serve us. When my girlfriend went back in and asked for an explanation as to what is wrong with her ID so she could go to the DMV and get it corrected if so, she replied it's just fake. She never showed them to another employee or matched them next to a book of state ID's or her ID or use a flashlight over the holograms, all of which are common practices if a fake ID is suspected. Our ID's never left our table for a second opinion or closer examination. It felt more like she had a certain stigma against us instead of our ID's and just did not feel like serving us, considering she couldn't even provide an explanation or use the regular procedures.

Stopped by randomly for a featured wine tasting. The waitress was knowledgable and took the time to explain each tasting. It was a pleasant experience and environment. People seemed to know each other (dogs allowed on the patio!). I liked the cleanliness and decor of the place!

Exquisite! Came here with a girlfriend and had so much fun. The staff was kind and knowledgeable. I didn't realize they actually make their own wines! Very delicious Cab. We had the small charcuterie and it was tasty. Plus, they have the cutest beach tables. Will definitely be coming back!

Right away I loved this place because of its platinum level ocean friendly award (plastic free business!) The back of their menu even has some environmental carbon footprint facts, so awesome. As far as the wine tasting goes you probably won't find a cheaper option in the area - try their $12 or $15 taster flights (or both) straight from the tapes in the barrels! There's not much seating for larger groups since it's a small intimate place best for a date night or groups of two. Super cute wine barrel tables inside and wall paintings for sale. You can also join their wine club to buy a bottle or growler of wine at a discounted rate along with a monthly tasting. If you live in the area this place is a must to check out!!

We found this place online and their website says they're open til 10pm serving Wines along with Meat & Cheese Platters and other appetizers, We arrived at 9:03pm and told us "that the kitchen closed at 9pm" We mentioned that their website says nothing about the kitchen closing Sharply at 9pm, the bartender(possibly manager or owner) said: "maybe we could find some olives for you" Really how hard would it of been to put together a simple meat & cheese platter at 9:03pm??? We decided to leave and get something to eat and don't see any reason to return

Molly is the dream! Education is key! Food was amazing- vibe was awesome! Environmental leaders- thankful for your work!!! Service was outstanding!

Great place to buy a bottle of wine and support local business. I just stumbled on this place and the people were so nice and a great holiday gift idea. They are open for takeaway and truly a great find!

Love this place! If you're looking for a cute spot to grab a glass of wine or a tasting flight in the La Jolla area, this place is a must try. The interior is really cute inside and the staff is always so friendly. I'm a big fan of the charcuterie board--it's a great spread with 3 cheeses, 3 meats, bread, nuts, fruit, chocolate and more. The Wine club seems to be a great deal with members receiving a growler once a month. They also put on special events for Wine club member to try out new wines. I'm looking forward to taking advantage of the patio in the summer!

Discovered this little gem in Bird Rock recently! As an avid wine lover, I always appreciate a great tasting room. The staff is very friendly, the wine is delicious, and you can NEVER go wrong with a cheese board. I'm excited to go back and try more of their selection!

I'm not personally a fan of wine, just doesn't do it for me. However, this wine tasting room was such a cool experience. Everybody there was so knowledgeable and just overall stoked to be working that I throughly enjoyed myself and actually enjoyed the tasting as well! One of their employees, Ricky, is a super nice and cheery individual that can connect with just about anybody. He actually even ended up selling me a wine club membership for my mother in law's birthday when I saw him at his other job! Overall I highly recommend this place, even as an individual that doesn't enjoy wine, so that's realllllly saying something haha

This is a casual, friendly place where you can try a variety of wines. The owner produces his wines in Napa Valley. And dispenses them from barrels into glasses or "growlers". You can purchase a $12 tasting or a full glass for about the same cost. And as a wine club member you receive two free tastings per month and only required to buy one bottle of wine. There is a menu of appetizers that you can pair with your wine, as well. The servers definitely knowledgeable and friendly.

Sunflowers everywhere and great wine - need I say more? Cute little spot that opened 2 years ago. Really modern interior, with cute wine casks as tables. A tasting is $15 and and gets you 6 2-oz tastings. I enjoyed them on the balcony area and loved having the sun shine on me while getting my buzz on. Great wine! It was not busy when I went midday on a Sunday, and I was able to hear my friend without having to speak loudly. Worth it to become a member. It's a 3 month commitment and $30/month. You get 2 tastings with it and a wine growler (1 liter).

Such a great little gem off the beaten path in La Jolla. Tried this place on 4th of July and it did not disappoint! The customer service was excellent, the bartender greeted us and gave us a quick but thorough introduction of the establishment as well as the origins of the wines they serve. We ended up doing a mixed flight and a white wine flight. The wine was on point! My favorite was definitely the Albarino and the Pinot Noir, so incredible! The cheese board was delicious and paired perfectly with the wine. The overall atmosphere was very relaxed and we spent several hours there drinking wine and hanging out at the surfboard bar people watching. Perfect way to spend a sunny summer day!

Awesome place right in Bird Rock area of La Jolla. Great selection of Wine, and food is fantastic. Hurry and take advantage of this that expires May 7th 2019.

Absolutely amazing place! Good wine, tasty cheese boards and all appetizers. We celebrated our wedding there, and it was great place for our small party! Staff was so kind, we got perfect gift from the owners, it was so nice! I hope we will celebrate all our anniversaries at this lovely place. Thank you for our great party!

Why is this model not a standard on wine tasting rooms?? The idea of pulling directly from the barrel as needed is wonderful! I'm hoping the idea catches on because this does support a more sustainable model: meaning I can taste more for less stress on the environment; win/win!! And, the Sauvignon Blanc, Red Rock blend #2 and the Cabernet Sauvignon are delicious on their own. Can't beat this! Will be back soon!

Got introduced to a Chardonnay and Albarino that I happen to like even though I tend to hate them. Had a great waiter named James very knowledgeable and polite!!! Music is killing it 24/7 and the Atmosphere is amazing!!! Thanks James for the wine knowledge !

Chris was so so so helpful and friendly! I know nothing about wine and he kindly explained all the flavors & aromas and history of each varietal. I came out of this tasting room experience feeling more sustainable and cultured. The service was almost Michelin star level! Can't enough good things.

What an amazing tasting room! I stopped by yesterday for a wine 101 class. Admittedly, I've joined several different "Wine 101" type of classes in the past and didn't learn or retain much. However, last night's presentation was by far the most enjoyable and educational one yet. I really enjoyed meeting the people behind LJ Crafted Wines. Mia, the marketing person, was engaging and bubbly. Lowell, the owner, introduced us to his patent-pending Wine Steward, which allows for wine to be served directly from the barrel. Derek (?), the sommelier, set about demystifying wine in a fun and riveting fashion. The decor is elegant and soothing. We were informed that much of the decor was upcycled from their own wine barrels, which were destroyed in a fire. They also sell adorable "growl-lettes", which are simply smaller growlers that contain approximately two glasses of wine. Perfect for when you just want to enjoy a glass or two and not the whole bottle! I can't wait to return with more friends in tow. The wine membership would also be a great holiday gift... for yourself.

You're going to love LJ Crafted Wines. The owner is at least a second generation (possibly third?) winemaker. His family owned, and he ran, a famous vineyard in South Africa. Now he has brought his skillset to La Jolla. You won't be disappointed with the quality of his wines. Plus, it's a fun wine tasting room.

Great wine bar! Derek, Chris, and James helped us out and were very friendly with amazing service. Chris made us feel like family there. They even let us even stay late for a tasting. I'd highly recommend this spot to anyone looking to try some delicious wine! Definitely my new favorite wine bar in town!

This place was amazing!! During COVID... they have three different seating times outside made by reservation, allowing for about 12 people max which made us feel extremely safe. Their wines were some of the best we've ever had and their cheese plate was out of this world. I love their concept of using reusable bottles and their staff was so friendly and attentive! Wishing we lived closer so we could frequent this place more often but we'll definitely be back!

Just want to give a shout out to Derrick & Chris for holding it it down! I've been a wine club member since they've opened and these two go above and beyond.. it's been hard the last few months not going in and getting our regular tastings and flights and chatting w Derrick about his knowledge of the wine but it's SO good to see them the last two pickups.. usually my friends and I Uber there on a Saturday after a long work week and do a tasting and have a cheese & meat board.. we have hiked the mile to and from my house the last two months just to see them and get our club refills, and purchase more wine to support them.. love you guys!!!

I love urban wineries, and LJ Crafted advertises itself as an urban winery, so thought I'd give it a try. On the plus side, I really did like the wines - especially the rose, Chardonnay and Grenache. But, it's not really an urban winery; they don't make any of the wines on site. The grapes are from Napa, Sonoma and made in Napa; shipped in barrels to the shop here. But service was very friendly, and did buy a growler of rose - 1 liter for price of bottle, plus one-time growler price of $6. The apps, especially the ceviche, were good, too!

My partner and I come here often and are members of the wine club. We bring guests in when they visit from out of town as well as our friends whenever we can. The wine is always impressive, have never been disappointed, and the staff is so kind and friendly. Lots of outdoor and open seating. The flatbreads are wonderful too! Our friends and family have loved too!

I have only come in here when my friend picks up her monthly wine subscription but it is always pleasantly busy, clean and cute! Last time we were in, I used the Yelp check-in for a rose tasting and then my friend shared her flight with me. It's quite a fun little shop with sustainable practices and a good vibe. Maybe one of these days we will actually get some of the food.

"As good as it gets" (what Yelp calls 5-stars) might be a little bit of a stretch but I really did enjoy this place, and recommend it. And really, the only thing that made me consider 4 stars was a weird personality change that happened with the guy who was helping us (more on that later...). I did the mixed tasting, which was one rose, 2 whites, and 3 reds (all 1-oz pours). My husband did the red tasting, and my cousin did the white tasting. We were all happy with the wines we tried- they were very good! The rose was my favorite- it was on the dry side, and I prefer dry wines. They also gave us maps of the Sonoma/Napa area, labelled so we could see exactly where each type we were drinking came from, which was kind of neat. They are also very environmentally friendly, and had a dog-friendly patio. Another unique thing is they serve wine straight out of the barrels- I guess no other tasting room (or very few of them) do that. The owner is awesome! He is super-friendly and you can tell he's passionate about what he does. My husband had a great time talking to him about a gadget his son made to help perfect pour amounts. It was hanging off the barrel and my husband, being an engineer, was immediately curious. It was nice that the owner actually took the time to talk to him about that. The man who was serving us started off just as friendly. He was very welcoming, explained the tastings they had, told us a bit about their wines and where they come from, and we had a little bit of nice conversation. But then, I don't know what happened. He asked if we had any questions, and we didn't. I do love learning about wines, but I just couldn't think of anything off the top of my head. I don't know if this insulted the guy? Since I didn't have a question, I tried to be nice and say that I really liked the rose because it wasn't sweet and so many roses are sweet. The guy kinda went off about how no one makes sweet wines anymore and he doesn't know where people claim to be finding them. It was odd because his tone of voice had immediately gone from friendly to sounding really irritated. I decided to drop the topic of sweet vs. dry wines, thinking that maybe it was a sensitive topic for some reason. But then I tried to ask if the vineyards that their grapes are from were safe from the Sonoma and Napa fires that have been going on- I really was curious because it's devastating to see these wineries and vineyards burn, and I was legit hoping they were okay. It broke my heart last year to see some favorite places I had visited burning, and to think of everything that was lost- buildings, businesses, revenue, jobs. He said they were okay so far this year but that last year they were hit hard. I had heard that some wineries up there actually produced some very unique wines after that year because of all the smoke- wines that probably cannot be intentionally reproduced. I was curious about why that would be the case, and if he had noticed anything like that himself, so I asked about it. To be fair, he did briefly explain why that would happen, but then he said "But, you know, structures burned so there's that," rolled his eyes, and walked off, end of conversation. At that point the four of us in our group were looking at each other and asking "Is he mad at us? What just happened?" I felt awful because it really felt like the guy was assuming I didn't care about the structures, even though I had explicitly expressed my concern. I wish I just hadn't said anything. I had good intentions and ended up feeling guilty. (Btw, I've had conversations about the same kinds of things at several other tasting rooms and wineries and it has never been unpleasant). When it was time for us to leave, we were not asked if we wanted to buy a growler and no wine club was mentioned. He slid my card and said "you can tip if you feel like it." I tipped 25%. Before we walked out, we asked if he recommended any Mexican food places nearby and he started to say, "There's a lot around here. There's one down the street or....you know what? Yelp." Again, he just walked off. No thank-you, no goodbye. Overall it was still a great experience. We loved the wines, the tasting room itself was very nice, they had a good selection of snacks (cheese boards and stuff like that) though we didn't have any, the owner seems like a very sweet person, and the service and friendliness of the man who helped us was great at first. I only wish he didn't suddenly do a 180. It was so undeniably obvious, it almost dropped my review to 4 stars but the owner was SO nice, and everything else was so great, I couldn't bring myself to give less than 5.