Had a lovely experience at J Emerson at their most recent Sweet Wine Tasting Event. I was able to indulge in tasting 15 different sweet wines from Vermouth to Eiswein for a very reasonable ticket price. In addition to the wine tasting, each tasting station was paired with a curated dessert as well created by Chef Eva Letteron, creating a very well rounded event. Walking in, I was immediately overwhelmed by the selection. The store reads like a treasure trove for both the novices and the wine experts, with every inch filled with impressive bottles. They even have a rare finds section for those seeking more elusive bottles. The owners and workers were all very kind with some appearing more knowledgeable about the products than others. They offered great insight in helping navigate all of the options. As a person who is new to the wine world, I greatly appreciated how accessible the tasting event was and how the information provided about the available wines was simple enough for even a wine newbie like me to appreciate. One thing to consider is that while the building is fairly sized, the walkways can feel a bit tight due to the numerous shelves and wine containers. Which may make it slightly challenging to navigate when the store is crowded, especially for those who may need more space. They did offer a discount for the tasting event which was a nice touch. I left with a bottle of Foi et Li, a delicious botanical forward vermouth that has only had 9000 bottles made. I'd definitely reccomend J Emerson if you're looking for a sweet wine or a rarer bottle to impress those at the next gathering! read more

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We were seeking a wine from Turkey for a special evening with friends, and J. Emerson was able to locate a bright lovely white and order three bottles for us from their supplier at a cost of $19 each. They really do go above and beyond! While we were picking up our bottles, we strolled through the shop and ended up leaving with 6 bottles of wine from different regions of the world. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and helpful and want to please. In addition to wine, they sell cheese of hard-to-find varieties, like a hard Honey Goat Gouda that is wonderful! The shop is situated on a street with cute cafes. Free parking is provided in a lot in the back, as well as on the street. The shop also issues a monthly informative newsletter offers a wine club as well. We're so happy to have discovered J. Emerson! read more

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We stopped in on my birthday to grab some treats of wine, cheese, meat, crackers and chocolate. They have an amazing selection of wine, and plenty of cheese to also choose from. The woman who took care of us was super nice and her dog kept her company in this chilly store, which I assume is kept so to benefit the wine. I hadn't read the reviews before stopping in and might not have had I known how rude they are when it comes to monitoring "their" parking spot. Wow. Glad we didn't have that issue. read more

J Emerson - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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In my opinion one the best wine shops in Richmond. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable they have an amazing selection that would satisfy the most sophisticated palate to the newbie wine lover. Their Monthly wine tastings are great and the canapés served during these events are top notch. Check them out and follow me @southernwineboy read more

Best wine shop in Richmond. The staff is kind, will gladly talk to you about whatever questions you have, and if I ever wanted a wine they didn't have I'm sure they'd point me in the right direction. I don't know what was happening 7-8 years ago with some of these reviews but I've never had an issue parking in their parking lot. read more

They have an amazing selection of wine and the people who work there are so friendly and knowledgeable. The manager, Lincoln, is also sweet.

Phenomenal selection and deeply knowledgable, friendly staff to guide you through it. I've joined several of their events, including free tastings and the more elaborate, seated, paid events, and have learned so much. A very professional establishment, and an attractive shop, with a friendly canine, too! read more

I really enjoyed visiting this fine wine establishment. I followed them on instagram and looked into all of their events after my friend sent me their wine tasting flyer. They also have wine 101 classes for newbies. This week we enjoyed a nice refreshing Riesling wine tasting that is perfect for this hot heat. The Riesling brut was so good and something different for us. This wine shop offers many various wines from all over the world. The staff is super knowledgeable and accommodating. Oh yeah the cheese!!! You have to try their smoked Gouda. Delicious omg! read more

J Emerson - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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I love this wine and cheese shop. They have everything from breads to wines to even small little cocktail plates and napkins. There is so much cool stuff to explore, I absolutely love the wine tastings they do. Everyone is so friendly and so ready to help you find your next bottle of wine/ block of yummy cheese. I love their dog, he is so friendly and has so much personality. The ambiance is so welcoming and chill, I love coming here if i wanna spice up dinner with a nice pairing of wine and cheese. There is so much selection from very affordable to luxury wines. read more

I love this area of Richmond. J Emerson is an excellent little wine shop with very knowledgeable wine staff. Yes, parking is a little weird-there's a lot behind the store that I parked in that seems like a pay lot but that Saturday the gates were open and I guess parking was free. Very unclear. Once inside the store, however, they have wine sorted by varietal and then further by region. I happen to be looking for a Pinot from Willamette Valley and he helped me find some other interesting options from upstate NY that were a better value. I love good wine but know that markups exist in the industry based on region and love a good tip about comparable wine regions at a better value. You're not going to get this kind of wine advice at Kroger. Lots of other labels and blends I have never seen before too, large selection. Highly recommend for a nice gift or dinner party. read more

Wonderful housewarming gift basket was prepared and delivered to a good friend who recently relocated to Richmond. It was by pure chance that I found them on Yelp. So very happy with the quality and service provided. read more

I went to J Emerson to run an errand for my mom to pick up some cheese. I decided to park in the back, and parked in a J Emerson reserved parking spot. As I was preparing to get out of my car, a very unprofessional older man comes running out of the store, very ticked off yelling at me "read the fucking sign, read the fucking sign, I'm going to get your car towed". This was quite unprofessional, and I am never coming back to the store. I hope no one has to deal with this highly unprofessional, and angry man at this establishment. He didn't even ask me if I was coming in to the store, he automatically assumed that I was going somewhere else. Just because I didn't look their target audience. read more

Frankly had the weirdest experience here. I pulled in and parked in one of the four "reserved" parking spots. I had less than five minutes to run in and pick up a bottle of wine. I wasn't halfway out of the car when I was getting scolded by an employee telling me I couldn't park in the spot because I wasn't a customer (how he knew this I do not know because I was quite literally still in my car). I informed him I intended to come into his store. He looked at me shocked then followed me into the store informing me the whole time they "pay a lot of money" for the spots and that there was an event today. He then hounded me in the store to the point I grabbed the first bottle of wine I saw. When I went to pay, he offered me a discount to make up for his presumption but then before he even swiped my card told me I needed to be sure to move my car before I go anywhere else. Wasn't planning on going anywhere else sir! And honestly, still was a paying customer so to tell me to move is beyond rude. I mean this was so bad my sister quite literally walked out of the store in discomfort and had I not really needed the wine for a gift that day I wouldn't have given them my service. I will not be going back into this store and do not recommended it to others if this is how they are going to treat their customers. read more

Always have an amazing experience at J Emerson but got a GREAT white recommendation today. I didn't get the gentleman's name but he was spot on in recommending the Madai godello! read more

J Emerson is your neighborhood wine expert, so you don't have to be! I have been going to J Emerson for years now (even after I moved across town, I still primarily shop for wine here). They are always friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful-- even though they know by now that I'm usually searching for something in the under $10 range. They helped me pick real crowd-pleasers for my wedding and always steer me in the right direction when I do want to splurge a little. They have an extensive collection of everything from your $5.95 table wine (but not the stuff you get at the grocery store) to $995.95 rarities. They are generous at the tastings they host- offering good mid-range priced bottles to sample, not just the cheap stuff. They have monthly wine features that high-light good quality wines at value prices. They still do a mixed-case discount (and, I believe a larger straight-case discount) and they will do a six-pack discount if you bring in your wine bag from the grocery store (the one that holds six bottles of wine). They have a modest but well-rounded cheese collection and they even have a small but decent selection of beer. I would (and do) recommend J Emerson to anyone. read more

J. Emerson is a Richmond gem. It not only has outstanding wines and cheese but it also is staffed by knowledgeable, courteous, and very helpful people. We always visit J. Emerson and shop there when we go to Richmond! read more

I've made it a point to visit most of the wine shops in the Richmond area, and J. Emerson's is probably my favorite. I've been a customer of theirs for a while now, and it's gotten to the point where they know me by name. I've worked as a wine specialist in fine dining, which included giving lectures and aiding in purchasing decisions as well as helping guests with their selections, so I like to think I have a smidge of credibility. The price ranges and areas of the world their wines represent vary widely - from Old World to New World; mainstream to obscure. The owner and staff hand select the wine they sell, which is part of the beauty of a specialty wine store. The owner, Jim Compton, is passionate about wine, extremely intelligent, and always a pleasure to speak with. The wine manager, Matt Adkins, is also quite passionate about his work, and willing to pass on some of his knowledge about wine if you ask, even if it means breaking out the World Atlas of Wine. The fact that everyone I've encountered there is exceptionally knowledgeable about wine and has actually tried most of what they sell says a lot about the integrity with which J. Emerson's seems to do business: They hire high-quality employees, invest in them, and expect them to sell wine based on their firsthand opinions. And this focus on quality truly translates over to the wines they select. Generally, tastings are held every week. Notably, last summer there was a lineup of ten different rosés that seemed to have a big turnout. More recently they had a tasting of white and red Burgundies that I really enjoyed. Mr. Compton holds sit-down classes in the fine wine room once a month, usually focused on a given topic. I recently obtained a new appreciation for Riesling at one of these classes. Not the flabby, sugary stuff from the grocery store - balanced, beautiful wines. I used to figure that an Auslese Riesling would be syrupy sweet, but the one I tried in that class exploded with tart, vivid tropical fruit. It was like HD or Blu-Ray for the tastebuds. Granted, you had to get past the initial petrol taste. A few of my picks: - Clos de Briords Muscadet Sevre & Maine (aged sur lie) - Loire, France ($17) - A dry, crisp, fresh white wine with delicate tree fruit flavors and an underlying minerality. - Domaine du Bel Air "Jour de Soif" Bourgeil - Loire, France ($15) - A round, bright, soft cabernet franc with just a touch of Old World earthiness - enough to be intriguing, but not off-putting. - Domaine Manoir du Carra Beaujolais Nouveau ($10) - Available last year during Beaujolais Nouveau season, it knocked Duboeuf and Drouhin right out of the park. Granted, it was still a Beaujolais Nouveau - simply an easy drinking red. I was advised to order Beaujolais Nouveau from them in advance, because it flew off of their shelves last year. - Marcel Lapierre Morgon (May he rest in peace) - A complex, ageworthy Beaujolais Cru. - Sant'Elena Friuli-Venezia-Giulia Sauvignon Blanc - A little over $22. If you love New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, this is quite a treat. - gPG Garganega-Pinot Grigio ($9) - Tart, crisp, smooth and perfectly thirst-quenching. I admit that my reviews are never lukewarm one way or another, so feel free to take my words with a grain of salt. It'll suffice to say that J. Emerson's is worth a trip. read more

The owner of this place screamed at my mother and I for using a parking space in "his" lot when we were going to the restaurant next door. And talked about how great, there's a wine store next door, because we love wine. He was vile, rude, and condescending. Blah blah blah he pays for whatever percentage of the parking lot. We were waiting on my father who is in the hospital having heart surgery and am appalled this was added to our stress today. It wasn't that he started off kindly asking us to park elsewhere and that we ignored it and instigated the incident. Immediately upon exiting the car he was simply rude and entitled. And it wasn't that I expect anyone to know what I am personally going through before they speak to me. But this man clearly has no respect for anyone who doesn't LOOK like they're going to give him money. We hadn't even begun walking towards where we were going. I hope he's ashamed as he reads this. And has fun refuting a second one star review for the same exact problem. read more

Great service and a passion for the business. So glad to have stopped in!

What the hell is up with the staff here? Completely uncaring and unresponsive to anyone entering the store. It's a ghost town the both times I have been in here and I can see why. The high end selection is excellent- but it seems that unless you're a cushy middle aged west ender with money to burn that you mean absolutely jack. Had to yell at the staff to get them to even say 'hi' to me both visits- not to mention having them help me. The guy came and told me where the style in question was located and then immediately walked back to sit on his computer. I regret purchasing from this store in general- as I don't feel compelled to shop when my purchase seems unappreciated. Stay away if you enjoy the experience of a brick and morter wine shopping experience- as all you'll get here are crickets paired with a generous helping of overpriced cult wines. read more

Great service and selection! The folks at J Emerson will help you hand select the perfect bottle for any occasion!