Hidden gem! We found this place entirely by accident. We were planning on eating dinner at Rutherford grill and had some time to spare beforehand. We had our dog with us and no reservations but figured it couldn't hurt to ask. All of the staff were so helpful and friendly. They took us out to their courtyard which is beautiful and very peaceful. They brought our dog some water and we enjoyed an amazing tasting. All of the wine was delicious. We look forward to coming back read more

Elizabeth Spencer Winery - Wine tasting - Wineries Near Me - Rutherford, California

Decided to check this place out. Such a cute place a great vibe. Wine was amazingly good. They have outdoor seating and a cute little area for indoor seating. Service was excellent laurel was an amazing wine expert. She knew her stuff. If you're in the area and want something different. Try this place out fyi they offer different tastings. They have a red, a white and a mixed red and white wine. read more

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We came up to Napa to celebrate our friends' 30th wedding anniversary, and Elizabeth Spencer was a stop on our wine passport. Honestly, I am so glad it was, because we might have missed it otherwise and what a gem this place is! We have to give a huge shout-out to Laurel. She was absolutely amazing. She knows her wine inside and out, but was also just so personable and fun to talk to. We did the red flights, fabulous, and our absolute favorites were the Cabernet Franc and The Reverend. We are already planning a trip back in the summer just to sit in that beautiful outdoor pavilion. Highly recommend stopping here! read more

I loved this winery because of its name. We did the White Wine & Macaron pairing. The macarons had beautiful flowers on them. It was perfectly paired with the wines. The service is incredible and they are very knowledgeable! read more

My Friends and I had such a poor experience here. We waited almost an hour for our first pour. The server told us very little about the wine, a few sentences.The wine was good but the service was so slow and prices are high, as they are everywhere in Napa. It's a pretty location but the seating is uncomfortable. I think we'll look at more comfortable locations with prompt service in the future. read more

My sister and brother-in-law took me wine tasting at Elizabeth Spencer. They're members so we visited earlier in the day for their cellar sale and returned later in the day for wine tasting. The cellar sale had bottles as low $10! It's a smaller winery compared to the others but it has its charm. We sat outside and enjoyed our wine. We had already been to Raymond Vineyards and Oakville Merchant that day for some wine so I was feeling it at this point haha. The sommeliers were very nice and knowledgeable. We enjoyed our time and we will most likely return. read more

Elizabeth Spencer Winery - Wineries Near Me - Rutherford, California

elizabeth spencer has the perfect garden for warm relaxing tasting in the valley! i've been here 3x now, and before that i had driven past it multiple times wondering what the cute brick building had to offer. i finally got around to a tasting, and it's needless to say, there's a reason i keep coming back. the staff is so friendly and always happy to help, not to mention, the property also has a bunch of cute little places to take pictures with your friends. read more

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The people that work at Elizabeth Spencer are nice and helpful. But this tasting is expensive and the quality of the wine has gone down. Also the owners retired and this is part of a big company that owns many other wineries and The Oakville Grocer. It's still a nice stop if you don't mind all that. read more

Elizabeth Spencer Winery - front - Wineries Near Me - Rutherford, California

A very charming estate with some fine wines to boot. Elizabeth Spencer embodies a more intimate Napa Valley wine tasting experience. Their adorable tasting room is located right off of highway 29 in the small town of Rutherford. Their indoor tasting bar is quaint and cozy with a nice display of their wine cellar. They've got a cute patio space, both covered and uncovered. Their estate appears to be small, but they actually have a large recreational area that is used for weddings and special events. The winery was recently sold to JCB, so some upgrades to the recreational space are in the works. My friends and I enjoyed their signature wine flight and were hosted by Nate. So let me tell you... this man Nate really knows his wine! Personable, fun, knowledgeable, and talkative. These are all of the qualities that I love in a great sommelier, and Nate embodies them all! We also got to learn a little more about him personally which was nice. He was super fun to taste with, and we loved learning about the husband and wife team (Spencer and Elizabeth) who created the winery. They've been in the industry for over 20+ years, and you can definitely taste it in their wines. I have to say, there wasn't one wine that I didn't like. All of them were drinkable, but my faves were their Sparkling Brut, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet. It's not often that I find a sparkling brut that I actually really love. Me and bubbles have a love hate relationship. Sometimes, bruts are just too bubbly or too dry for me. But this one had light bubbles and tasted kind of juicy. Not sure if that's the best descriptor for it, but I enjoyed it so much that I purchased it (I rarely buy sparkling wine to take home to drink). This is a sparkling that you could enjoy during brunch or on the patio on a warm day. Loved it. Their Pinot Noir is a Burgundian style; luscious and fruit forward with some nice jam. This is my favorite kind of Pinot, so I knew that I would enjoy it when Nate starts to describe the tasting notes. Finally, the Cab was bad ass! Smooooth like butta! Soft tannins that change when paired with the right meats. My friend purchase this Cab and we ended up having it a few weeks later at a steakhouse in San Francisco. It went perfectly with our filet mignons. Just a beautiful cab. We also shared a delicious wine and charcuterie plate, and everything on it tasted scrumptious. As the day went on, the tasting room got busier and service from Nate slowed down quite a bit. He did acknowledge this and apologize, and we understood that he was busy. I would suggest that you give yourself plenty of time to taste here as you can easily spend a good 2-3 hours here if you want to. We had another reservation and didn't time things right, but next time we will definitely allot for more time. All in all, we had a wonderful first visit at Elizabeth Spencer. I would highly recommend a visit if you're looking for an intimate wine tasting experience in Napa Valley. read more

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I really enjoyed the tasting at Elizabeth Spencer. I've never been before and am an avid Napa visitor, so as part of the St. Helena Little Book of Big Experiences, this was a cute spot to try. The tastings from what I hear are usually outside, but we happened to be onsite during the atmospheric river of January, so we did the tasting in the Kitchen Museum. There's tons of fun things to look at and Willy wonka (classic version) was playing in the background. Service was good and they were basically empty so we had flexibility in starting a tad earlier than our reservation. Would recommend as a filler tasting as the location doesn't offer tremendous views but the tasting was pleasant and they have a nicely central location. read more

Elizabeth Spencer Winery - Fun quotations along the wall - Wineries Near Me - Rutherford, California

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My wife and I have been here several times throughout the years and each time we come back it seems like the quality of the wines just keeps getting better and better. The last time we were here, we got to try their recent Chardonnay along with a 10 year Chardonnay, which was a great experience. Today, we stopped by and shared their two different wine flights and wow were we blown away. We started off with a Rose of Pinot Noir which was very low key and somewhat Provencial in style. It was right up our alley. Then we tried a Viognier and Chardonnay. The Viognier was a little too light for my liking but the Chardonnay was quite nice. Then we had about a half dozen Cabs and blends which absolutely stole the show. The Atlas Peak & Mt Veeder Cabs were especially delicious and are, alone, worth it. If you're a Cab lover, this is one stop you have to make! read more

A group of us several months back went wine tasting in the area(Rutherford) and one of our friends is a member at Elizabeth Spencer Winery. Since I had not had a chance to sample their wines in the past, I eagerly walked through the front door of the small'ish main building. Unbeknownst to me, was a gorgeous courtyard with nicely setup seating in the back. Most of us went with the Signature Tasting Flight and I found their Carneros Merlot was the one I enjoyed the most. Overall though, the other wines, ranging from a Pinot Noir to Sauvignon Blanc were also excellent. Our hostess was amazing and informative about their wines. When in the area, I definitely recommend you give this quaint winery, a consideration on your next wine tasting trip. read more

A group of us stopped by before we had lunch in another spot in Rutherford and I had never been here, but was instantly intrigued when I saw the front of what appeared to be a small red brick building, almost shack like. What I didn't realize before stepping through the front door was that there was a whole large outdoor seating area that was beautifully designed and very peaceful looking. Since one of our friends was a member, we decided to go with the Signature Flight Tasting and she went with the Reserve Flight Tasting. I especially loved the Cabernet Sauvignon. Our wine MC was very friendly and welcoming. Overall, I would come back in a heartbeat, especially in the spring and summer time, when the weather should be nicer. read more

I'm a member of Raymond Vineyards which gives me wine club member access to this winery. The good: the grounds were pretty and clean. The scent of the flowers/plants made for a very relaxing ambience. Easy parking and plenty of room so you have privacy with your group. The not so good: When we walked in, it took the staff member several minutes to acknowledge and greet my friends and I. They were helping a group of 4 yet all I wanted to hear was "we'll be right with you." Other employees walked by and must have looked right through us because they also didn't acknowledge us. Who is Elizabeth Spencer and what it's all about? I don't know because we weren't told. I told them it was our first time there and I wish I knew more about the winery. The wine was ok. I really only liked the Cabernet. Our server did tell us about the wine but wasn't really engaged with us. We also saw the proprietor JC Boisset and he only greeted a large group and ignored the rest of the tables which were like 4. I have been in other wineries were we are greeted and the vibe is way friendlier. Overall, I didn't have that great experience. read more

We had a lovely experience wine tasting here this past weekend. The wine tasting room is large with many tables and has a rustic feel. Our server/bartender was really knowledgeable about all the different types of wine we tried and gave us a detailed description of all of them before we tried it. There were 5 types of wine on the tasting we did and they were all good! I especially liked the Sauvignon blanc and syrah. We ended up purchasing 3 bottles of wine; they were pretty pricey but worth it. Overall, I'd recommend this spot to wine taste and will definitely be back when I'm in the area to try their other types of wine! read more

Elizabeth Spencer Winery - Wine tasting menu and Cabernet - Wineries Near Me - Rutherford, California

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Been here a few times and their wines are really good. You can taste, or you can order by glass or bottle which I really like. Sometimes you just want a glass of wine and not a 1oz pour. Definitely a destination for a tasting by visitors but it also seems like a destination for locals to meet and have a glass of wine and catch up. read more

Elizabeth Spencer Winery - Wineries Near Me - Rutherford, California

I may re-visit this place on another occasion. Perhaps when I have more disposable income. Who knows. Maybe I'll get the right scratch-off ticket at the 7-11. This is a beautiful, quaint winery that I have wanted to visit every time I've taken a trip through Napa. It's been on my list for a long, long time of places to check out in the Napa/Rutherford/St. Helena area. My husband and I stopped there on Thursday morning, December 27th. The Kitchen Memories building was being utilized for tastings, as the main tasting room was being refurbished. We see a group of four women go in the building, so yes, it's open. Great. I went to use the restroom while my husband checked out the wine menu. When I returned, he informed me of the tasting fees. $50.00 for the non-reserve, or $75.00 for a reserve tasting flight. Yikes. That's a bit high. We quietly did a 180° back to our car after absorbing that information. Perhaps this is a sign that Napa Valley has become too expensive for us to visit anymore. I'll bet it's a nice place, and the wine is probably really good, but that tasting fee was a bit much. I don't feel ashamed for leaving the place. I've walked out of other establishments that were way too expensive for my needs. Perhaps we'll make another trip, but, again, we're not that wealthy. Someone will gladly pay that fee to sample the wines. They know what they're doing. It was time to get back on the road. Oh well. read more

We went here almost at the end of a long weekend in Napa Valley. They mainly have outdoor seating, which is ideal when you go during COVID. We had their wine tasting. The servers have a great deal of knowledge about the history of the place. The underlying grape selection, ... it was a treat and the pace of wine tasting was great. You get in and out in 75 minutes. We did buy a few bottles to take away but did not sign up for the wine club. read more

This was our second stop on our journey through Napa Valley. Before visiting, I had envisioned most of the wineries we'd visit would be posh and prim and proper, a certain put-together aesthetic for the place as well as the clientele. We only got a small taste of the region, but Elizabeth Spencer was easily fit that notion the most. If I were to meet someone for a glass of wine, I would recommend this place and enjoy the lemon trees in the courtyard. We did the wine tasting and enjoyed the experience. The wines were tasty, and we bought a bottle of brut and chardonnay to take home. This is a must stop in Napa! read more

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My family had a wonderful time at the winery's tasting room during our Napa trip. My aunt and uncle are members and made sure to reserve a table while we wee in town. It was sparsely populated when we arrived so the host had no problem pushing a few tables together for our group of 8. By this point on our Friday excursion I'm pretty sure we all had our fair share of wine. Host Kathy was there and immediately gave my aunt a hug once we sat because of how frequent aunt and uncle visit when on their yearly Napa trips. My aunt told the guy host (can't recall his name) to take us thru the wine list in his way instead of the standard red or wine tasting. He was quite knowledgeable about everything on the list and more! So much that we left with about 10 bottles of wine. While we paid a standard tasting fee, he definitely poured a little more because of how fun we were. It was great to also hear the story of Elizabeth & Spencer and have some visualizations about the area where their wine is produced. read more

Elizabeth Spencer Winery - Part of the tasting menu - Wineries Near Me - Rutherford, California

So RUDE!! Showed up at 330 to pick up a wine club. They sad they are full and can't do a tasting. Only 3 tables were full outside. They wouldn't give us a taste of anything and messed up the pick up other. read more

Smaller venue but still a nice time. This was the third winery of the day for us and suffered from this. read more

Elizabeth Spencer Winery - Wineries Near Me - Rutherford, California

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We ended our day with a Signature Tasting at this winery, which produces an array of whites and reds. Our favorite moment was meeting Elizabeth herself. She was very gracious, and chatting with her made the experience feel very personalized. Ambience: Outdoor patio tastings with views of a lovely garden. Homey and comfortable. Service: The staff was friendly and got us settled quickly when we first arrived, but there were noticeable gaps where we waited on more water or the next tasting, etc. Napa has a relaxed vibe, but since the weather was so hot, it would've been nice for things to move a little quicker since all tastings happen outside. Wine: Tasty, especially the Chardonnay! All of the pours were generous which is always a plus. We didn't purchase any bottles to take home, but there's a lot to choose from. You can also find this wine sold widely online; not always the case! read more

Elizabeth Spencer Winery - Pinot Noir - Wineries Near Me - Rutherford, California

Charming boutique winery. The service was pretty good. Wines were delicious- pricey but well worth it!

Great relaxing time in a small outdoor setting. Our host was sweet and she was very nice , knowledgeable and hospitable.

Elizabeth Spencer Winery came recommended to us by a gentleman who did our tasting at Silver Oak. We said we wanted to hear where locals went and didn't want the super touristy spots. This place made sense because we had a lengthy list of places to try and this particular spot was not on our list. We went in and luckily did not need a reservation, which was awesome. I will say this, the place is super small, standing room only in their tasting room and it is quite cold in there, freezing if you will. We opted for a spot outside because we wanted to sit and that's where the people were. Outdoor patio area with tables and umbrellas. Very quaint little spot, pretty. We did one tasting between the two of us, three whites and one red. I'm not a big Chardonnay drinker, scratch that, I do not drink Chardonnay, however after tasting the Chardonnay here, I will start to drink it because the one we had here was sensational. I only drink Chardonnay when we go to vineyards and do tastings and this was the best I've tried thus far. Delicious. The tasting was maybe $25 or so, no bread or anything like that, which we received at most spots and the service was really slow. Our guy doing the tasting was definitely overwhelmed and we sat for quite a while in between tastings. It was getting cold outside and we kind of wanted to finish up and get into some warmth. Luckily, someone else working there noticed we had been sitting there quite a while without any wine and he came over and finished the tasting for us. The gentleman doing our tasting originally may have been new, nice, but didn't seem to into it. This was one of the places we could have skipped even though the Chardonnay was delicious, we spent a very very long time here and there was so much we were trying to squeeze in that day. read more

Stumbled upon this gem while visiting wedding venue places in the Napa area. Reservations are a must, especially during Covid. Quaint tasting garden surrounded by a large vegetable garden and a large lawn area. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable and let you enjoy the tastes at your own pace. All the wines are good quality and competitively priced for Napa. We did join the wine club. Why not? Tasting fees are pricey and you get complimentary tastes as members, plus a discount on wine purchases. Cannot wait to attend a release party. read more

Kelly has helped us both times and she's amazing. She's fun while following social distancing and makes sure everyone is being taken care of. Of course as important as the service is the wine. The wine is amazing and we've joined as members. Tough times between the fires and pandemic - supporting good people is as important as ever. Thank you ES Winery! read more

3/2021 Amazing time, beautiful yard, fantastic wines. Special thanks to Michael who was very knowledgeable on wines, suggestions and the history of this estate. read more

Elizabeth Spencer Winery - Wineries Near Me - Rutherford, California

We came here a couple of years ago and were underwhelmed. The tasting room was dark and loud and the wines weren't notable. The server gave us no info on the wines. I was so perplexed that I didn't even write a Yelp review. A few weeks ago we were invited back by an acquaintance who was a wine club member and our experience was completely different. We sat in the outdoor garden area and our host was extremely knowledgeable about the wines. I was especially impressed with the Petite Syrah and walked out with a couple of bottles. Perhaps just a little pricier than it could be for the cabs but it was a nice stop. The pro move is to put your name on the waitlist across the street at the excellent Rutherford Grill and walk across the street to taste here, buy a bottle if you find one you like and then take advantage of RG's no corkage policy. read more

Marco was fantabulous and so kind! We will definitely be back... The Cabs were amazing as well!

What a great experience wine tasting today! Kathy is amazing and really made our experience what it is today!!!! So glad we came here and the wine was outstanding! The 2018 Rose of Pinot Noir was outstanding as well as the 2015 Syrah. We will be back for sure!!! read more

Elizabeth Spencer Winery - Wineries Near Me - Rutherford, California

We returned for a second visit after many years. The space has been expanded considerably since our last time in. We dropped in without a reservation on a Saturday afternoon. Upon entering the cute cottage, we were escorted to the quaint patio on the opposite side of the building from where you park. The patio offers a variety of table sizes with ample shade due to the umbrellas. We were able to enjoy a mix of sun and shade at our table. There were two tasting options. Their basic option is $25 and includes a pre-determined selection of wines. Their enhanced option is $40 and allows you to select from their older and/or limited production vintages. We did one of each and enjoyed the variety. Robin was our wine expert and we felt fortunate given her attentiveness and informative descriptions. They produce several varietals as they have vineyards in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties. We did not join the wine club or take anything with us as we have had better wines elsewhere. Given my opinion of their quality of wine, I feel the tasting fees are a bit high. It is a nice experience and worth a visit though. read more

Elizabeth Spencer Winery - Wineries Near Me - Rutherford, California

We are members. We have tasted here several times. We really like the white wine selections they offer so we like to go here dor tasting white wines like Chards, sauvignon blancs, pinot blancs and pinot gris. All very tasty. We have tasted in the lovely courtyard, the studio and the small greeting area into the courtyard. 5 wines for 40 or so if you are not a member. The parking is ample and the facility is clean and pleasant. We have enjoyed several wine servers. Knowledgeable and cordial. They give good service and dont seem overworked. read more

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Was suggested this winery by the good folks over at Posiedon. I called and spoke to Tracy who spent quite a bit of time with me on the phone. I told her that we were interested in sweet whites and reds that are on the softer and more fruit forward side. She said that they didn't have any sweet wines but that she thought there would be something we would like. As we were coming on Super Bowl Sunday and there was only 2 of us it probably wouldn't be necessary to make an appointment but I did anyway. We arrived a little early and there were only a couple of other parties in the tasting room. We were greeted promptly, sat at a table and soon Tracy came over and started our journey. We tried 5 or 6 wines and unfortunately didn't really find anything to our liking. But Tracy was very friendly and knowledgable. She even suggested a few other wineries that she thought might suit our palates better. The folks at Elizabeth Spencer were great. The wines just weren't for us. read more

Love visiting this winery when we are in the area great atmosphere delicious wines and great people always a treat I was also lucky enough to have been invited to one of their new release party's which was held in their lovely patio and I had such a nice experience highly recommended read more

Used to find amazing wine here then things changed a few years ago. They hired a new marketing person a few years back. The new manager told us that he simply raised all the wine prices beyond high; began to break into the large casks of library wine, and sell them from the 750ml bottles. Now it seems the days of finding and buying the amazing rows of grapes and making fantastic wine are gone, but the prices are disproportionately high relative to the quality. Lots of blends and very little 100% cab these days. Ground are beautiful! read more

A new favorite of mine we spent a good amount of time at during the Rutherford passport weekend. We went to so many wineries that weekend, but this is the last of 3 I was excited about to review. Highlights: - Setting: Charming. Quaint little brick house that used to be a post office in the 20s. In the tasting room there are graduating size bottles in lobby a la Russian dolls. Winery is named after the first names of the owners who are a couple which is very cute. - Outdoor graveled patio area: nice tables with umbrellas and a covering in the back. Relaxing hanging out there for a bit--kind of like you're in a neighboor's backyard. - Wonderful staff: very informative about the winery and the wines and excellent service. Even though there were many people there, they were aware and attentive making sure you got your next wine soon after you were done with your last. We met Elizabeth and she was delightful and made us feel welcome like we were a guest she had invited personally. Winery is named after the first names of the owners who are a couple which is very cute as well. - Generous pours: my oh my almost half glasses. And 6 different types--and we were welcomed to revisit any we liked. Best thing is it's good stuff so I was happy taking my time to sip the wine in our shady spot at a large table with some new friends. - Small production but large variety: They don't own vines so they source what they find are the best around the area. It allows them to create everything from chardonnay and sauvignon blanc to chenin blanc, grenache, pinots, syrah, cabs, etc. It's a nice feeling buying from smaller places. - Paella for passport: they had a paella guy that challenged Bobby Flay on the Food Network's throwdown there making a huge pan of it. Lowlights (my flip side to highlights): - Price: of course the ones we liked happened to be the limited pricier ones. ;-) - Tasting room looked a bit smooshed. Sign said capacity was 14 but more people than that were tasting. A winner for me! So glad we stopped in there. Will definitely be back on my next Napa trip. read more

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I visited Elizabeth Spencer Winery on 5/14 with my family. The garden and outdoor tasting space was gorgeous. And our host, Stewart, was absolutely fantastic! Very charming, funny, and down to Earth - and extremely knowledgeable about wine. It really came across how passionate Stewart is about wine and how much he enjoys talking to people about it. I can honestly say I learned a few new things in talking to him. He effortlessly worked the room as he attended to his other guests - the man made it look very easy. The wine itself is very good; I would've bought anything I tried on the tasting menu. Between the amazing hospitality from Stewart and the range of wines we tried, my family and I went home with 4 bottles. I will definitely be visiting ES again soon. Ask for Stewart! read more

Just come here already! Really excellent wines for a steeper fee of $20 for 6 tastings. Not one complaint about ANY of them. No winery, it's just a ROOM & outdoor patio. Name originates from the wife (Elizabeth) and husband (Spencer) team. Hey, if the local yocals come here, you know it's gotta be good. read more