Glad to see this place finally closed. From treating customers like sub humans to overpriced product, this place had the absolute worst business model imaginable. PA is not wine country, it's a niche market. Of course the owners were too delusional to ever grasp this, thinking somehow they were different and better. Wrong on both counts. Karma finally kicked in, and now the property has been sold, and all the money foolishly invested in it is gone. All the customers treated so poorly by the two owners should raise a glass of the cheapest state store wine and toast the demise of this haven of elitism and snobbery. read more

What a shame. . . I've not been to the winery in at least a decade but I still have their wines in my cellar. I was an annual (or twice / year) customer back before the name change and the passing of the founder. I had the award winning Blanc de Blanc (bought a case at $18/bottle before the award). I just discovered a 2005 Petit Verdot that I opened last night - blew me away! It would stand toe-to-toe with the best of the Bordeaux's. Sorry to hear of all the negative comments - I don't doubt them as I've not been there in ages, but it's not the winery it used to be. Their wines were top notch. read more

While easily one of the most uppity wineries I've ever been to, J. Maki Winery still produces some truly exceptional wines. Casual wine drinkers not welcomed. I totally get the unfortunate reviews for J. Maki Winery, especially if you're a casual wine drinker out for a boozy weekend with your friends. You are not welcomed here, as this place takes their wine very, very seriously. After all, J. Maki's 1997 Blanc de Blancs did take home gold in the Vinalies Internationales Awards in Paris, France, the only American winery to achieve such an honor. You will be told this several times during your visit, just in case you miss the large certificate on the wall. I'm convinced they use the absurdly high $30 tasting fee to screen people out and compel you to buy one of their wines (the tasting fee is waived with bottle purchase). *You* should feel honored to spend the $30 to taste their wines. Whether this attitude is intentional or not, this will undoubtedly rub people the wrong way if you're not prepared for it. However, if you can get over that, and know a little about wine (you will be tested), you will find some really spectacular wines here, especially the champagnes they take so much pride in (they feel very strongly they make "champagnes," which is usually reserved for French champagnes, with American wines being labeled as sparkling whites or some variation thereof). The tasting, once again, is $30 per person, which is waived if you buy a bottle....per person. It's essentially a free tasting if you were planning on taking a bottle home anyway. Champagne lovers will adore this place, especially any of the Blanc De Blancs, their signature champagne, which is much more flavorful and refreshing than any champagne I've tried (and expensive at $65, but the owner insisted these go for over $200 in NYC restaurants *pinky out*). The most notable whites were the 2008 Chardonnay and the 2008 Viognier. The Chardonnay is an interesting blend of oak (aged 3 months) and stainless steel (3 years) that is oaky on the front and then mellows to a crisp on the end. I've had a lot of Viognier in Virginia (it is the state grape after all), but none like this one - much drier and less floral/fruity as it's VA cousin, it has a complex crisp taste to it that's hard to describe (a really nice summer wine). As for the reds, I really enjoyed the two Cabs, the 2008 Cabernet Franc and the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cab Franc is bold on the front with a hint of pepper on the end. The Cab Sauv is full bodied and packed with complex flavors. Fans of sweet wines will love the Ice Wines, which actually offer some interesting taste among that pucker-sweetness. In sum, J. Maki doesn't care about your bad yelp reviews, your negative experience, or your complaints about the tasting fee. They believe they make some of the best wine in the world, and they are much more interested in appealing to seasoned wine veterans than tour buses. And yeah, that's a bit of a turnoff, even for a wine snob like myself. J. Maki should stop riding past glories and make their winery a bit more accessible, first by lowering the tasting fee, and they will see a bump in their reviews. This probably won't happen anytime soon, so novice drinkers stay far away. However if you're a wine person (snob or veteran), you will probably adore J. Maki for all of the reasons everyone else hates it. read more

See all

Well. We were kind of disappointed. We drove from Phoenixville because my wife passed this place every day on the way to work. We brought the kids because they are used to tagging along. When we pulled up it looked so charming and we felt like we were in Europe. They we saw all the weeds everywhere. We walked it what felt like a museum so we had a hard time finding a space for our kids to find something to do without being worried that they break anything. Then we went up to do the tasting and it was SO pricey!!!!! At that point we didn't have a choice but the pay and the wine was REALLY expensive too. We were super bummed. read more

Awful. I should have known not to go into the building after pulling into the empty parking lot. The woman owner was very rude. To start, she carded me before starting the tasting. She says "you look very very young." I had to leave the counter and go to my car to grab my ID. Who cards at a winery? Not to mention I am 25 years old. The wines were less than average. We went to taste the red wines which were all extremely dry and lacking flavor. The white wines were just as flavorful as the 10 dollar wine you can purchase at Wine and Spirits. At the start at the tasting the woman owner told my boyfriend and I, "complimentary tasting with a purchase of wine." She failed to mention that BOTH of us had to purchase a bottle of wine. At the end of the tasting she rudely said "you are both OBLIGATED to buy a bottle." The wine bottles are 30-75 dollars. We ended up spending 65 dollars on crap wine. Let's say, we were not happy. Note- 30 dollars a person TASTING if you do not buy a bottle. This winery is a waste of time and money. I do not recommend visiting. Awful customer service and overly priced less than average tasting wine. read more

A majority of the other reviews pretty much sum up this guy's attitude. He's on his high horse and convinces my family "yea you get to taste all of these complimentary!" Once we all agree that's a great idea and gives us wine glasses he mentions, "it's free tasting if you buy a bottle." Great. For a family of 4 this is now $150. Oh but wait, you get 25% off if you buy 4 botttles so now it's only $110. It's 100% not worth it. Boring place. No where to sit. Old china on the walls. A big freaking certificate that means squat to anyone in there other than the"top casino owners in Vegas." Quality of their product aside, if you care about how you're treated then don't go here. read more

Underwhelming wines, unpleasant staff, and ridiculously high fees... I stopped by on a whim with my girlfriend to sample some local wines and experience what this winery had to offer. The location and winery itself was beautiful but aside from that our entire experience was less than pleasant to say the least. The women that we dealt with was quick to be condescending and the wines that we sampled were underwhelming at best. I would have been okay with those two items alone if it were not for the ridiculously high tasting fee ($30 per person) which we were not made aware of until after our tasting had already begun. When the tasting was over I reluctantly purchased two overpriced bottles of wine that I did not care for just to waive the tasting fee. I wish I had seen the other yelp reviews and saved myself this unpleasant experience. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Beautiful location, truly. average and wildly overpriced wine and champagne. The place is closing when it's sold and you can certainly tell. Staff seemed completely disingenuous and just trying to push their old wine that won an award decades ago. Cheapest bottle of wine is $40. They charge $30 for tastings which is double what any other local winery charges. Silent, awkward tasting room. For some reason they don't utilize any of the amazing outdoor areas. Oh well. read more

The wine is forgettable, but you will remember the owner, who is as rude as they come and seems more interested in clearing out his warehouse of sub-par wine than he is with actually providing any kind of enjoyable experience. He may as well convert his business to a drive through since he seems to hate it when people park in his parking lot or come into the store. read more

"All roads in Pennsylvania lead to J Maki Winery." My Great Uncle told me that right before he died of HappyFeelGood Disease. The name is misleading. Its an awful way to die. The disease turns every bone in your body to dust and your genitals detach themselves and become a social justice warrior. It's true, no matter where you drive in Pennsylvania, you'll see those damn signs everywhere telling you the mileage to J. Maki Winery. Those signs came in handy.. I was beaten up by a group of highway bandits known as girl scouts and tossed along the turn pike. When I awoke I had no clue where civilization was. Then I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign. 'J Maki Winery 40 miles." I followed that sign, and the following signs, until I made it. Civilization, I arrived at the J Maki Winery. I went to the sales floor. A bottle of rhubarb wine stood out to me. "Excuse me sir, nobody likes rhubarb wine." A sales person said to me. I pulled the bottle and a secret staircase appeared. I ascended the staircase. Behnind a large oak desk sat the man himself.....Jay Clarence Maki. He wasn't completely human. He was a 12 ft wale-cyborg hybrid human with a kuerig for a face. "I've been expecting you Grand Master B." He bellowed. Wales always bellow. It must be the blow-hole. He then pulled a lever that activated a Launchpad that shot me to the moon. I landed on the moon. I saw a sign. J. Maki Winery- 238,855 miles. read more

This winery was amazing! I suggest you do the samples. The woman who waited on us was great. They seem to be a place where you sample then leave. I really wished they had tables so you could enjoy a glass, but that's ok. We took 3 Home read more

UNFRIENDLY. BAD WINE. Why why why does this business even have public access? The WORST customer experience ever for us. Like a visit to the soup-Nazi. Owner/counter person was a off-putting, rude snob, so why even open your doors? Take down the hwy signs, lock your doors and make your (disappointing) wines. We were rushed through a pitiful 'tasting', bought an overpriced bottle, and left, never to return nor recommend. Small wonder the wine is bad- if I were tended by these people, I'd sour too. Nothing to see except parking lot and gift shop. May as well stop at a spirit shop instead. read more

I enjoyed the Winery. First off the wine. They have AWESOME high quality wine, which is probably the most important. Their Chardonnay and Ice Wines are some of the best you can find in PA, and I have had a lot of wine. I thought 30 or whatever was high, but that's waived if you buy a bottle, which i do at almost every winery i can. The owners are very knowledgeable about wine. As some said, this is not a "everyday" wine for me. Its more of a special occasion wine. Its worth a visit if you more of "wine" type person. If you are just out for some local tastings, might be better options. read more

Bought the 2003 BdB. It was corked. Returned to JM to to retrun it. THe owner said that's our style. Well, they must have wine challenge in Frnace with Maki's 1997 Blanc de Blancs because everyone else sucked more. Do not visit. There is a reason why they are selling the place AND no one is bidding! read more

Stopped in on a quiet Saturday, pleased to have been served by one of the owners who took the time to explain each one of their samples. The Ice Wines were amazing. Left with 3 bottles when we expected to leave with just tasters. We will be back! read more

MOST UNFRIENDLY! My boyfriend and I were on our tandem bike ride and saw the sign on the main road directing us towards the winery. We thought it could be a great idea to take a brake and sip on some wine and have a good time meeting locals... WRONG... we arrived to a nice maintained and charming building but as soon as we walked in we were greeted by a snobby lady that asked us if we were wearing cleats... because, she said, "we just got these new floors, and we ask the cyclists to leave there shoes at the door"...(needless to say, there were rugs covering more than 90% of it). Although, she allowed us to keep them on as far as we stayed on the rugs (my suggestion). Then, she proceeds to show us a big blow-up print of some award they got 10 years ago for "best champagne" (?) (it'll be interesting to verify that), and tells us that if we want to test their wines there will be no charge unless we purchase a bottle each. My boyfriend and I looked at each other, agreeing that we wouldn't want to carry wine home in the bicycle and I didn't want to agree to buy some wine that I haven't tested first; to that, she added that if we wanted to test without buying it was going to cost us $20 per person (!!). My boyfriend and I looked at each other again and walked out of there. Totally ridiculous! I wouldn't pay $20 for wine tasting at Napa Valley, much less in PA. Sorry but I only give this place 1 star because of the building... for the rest, they can keep it and drink it themselves, which I think it is very much what's going on there! read more

Don't bother coming. Rude! $30 each for a tasting, ONLY if you say you will buy a bottle. For each person tasting..."are you going to buy because I don't give away free samples." Sign inside hanging reads: "Only American champagne maker to win an award in France!" Really?... Questions were answered with a condescending tone. Place smells like spoiled food. A person in our party humored him and bought a tasting. Most tastings are just that, a taste. Maki poured a full glass. It tasted like vinegar. Most likely, this bottle had been sitting out for weeks... Read the other awful reviews on their website. $40/bottle. Come on... really? In the middle of nowhere PA? read more

Wonderful wines and champagnes. You would never know they were in Chester County. My dad, who lives in CA wine country, ordered a case to take back with him. An excellent experience. read more

Wow! What an amazing view and beautiful landscaping! Wow - I never felt so unwelcome at a business. Do NOT go here if you enjoy wine tasting. It's extremely over priced and only "special friends can rent the venue" - per the owner. They care tremendously about an award they won 20 years ago, but their pride has overshadowed their ability to offer customer service. Stick to the other laidback local wineries that offer reasonable tastings and excellent service. read more

Review is based solely on service. We stopped in 2 years ago, so perhaps they have better service now. Anyhow, we saddle up to the bar to taste the wine. I have never seen someone be so careful pouring the wine, so that they could pour the absolute smallest droplet into the glass and nothing more. it was like a 3rd of a teaspoon . The woman, I presumed to be the owner, was extremely condescending and a know it all about wine. When we asked what was ice wine, she looked pretty disgusted that we should ask such a dumb question. I don't recall anything about the wine, just about the rude woman and the high prices. Such a shame, it's in a beautiful area. If they were more welcoming it would be a great destination place for a Saturday afternoon to drink wine and chill out. Not here though, no way. Not encouraged. They want you to come in, buy their wine and leave. **update*** forgot to mention 2 things: when she poured 2 drops instead of 1 into my wife's wine glass, she had the audacity to pour the 2nd drop back into the bottle. This pretty much sums up the mindset of this woman. Also - they use this gold medal from this international wine competition. I'm no expert, but you can google if this wine competition is a serious one or not. The wine didn't blow me away. I would say it was average. read more

My husband and I visited in late March. We wish we hadn't. Unpleasant service, overpriced wines and gloomy feel. I don't know how they are still in business. read more

Be aware - the tasting fee is high ($30) and is hidden in fine print at the bottom of the tasting list. We were happy to be informed of this price as we already had tasted our first sip of wine. The wines are nothing special especially for the high price that's charged per bottle. My friend and I were underwhelmed. read more

Me and my husband stopped by J.Maki Winery this weekend and was really shocked that the tasting cost $30.00 per person to taste 8 wines (not more than a mouthful) OR the tasting is free if each person tasting buys a bottle of wine. The least expensive wine was $29.00. We have been to many other wineries throughout the USA and this was by far the most expensive place to taste wines. The owner was very nice. She was informative and pleasant. We were the only people there at the time. We completed our tasting and bought two bottles of wine. Would we go back there? Probably not. read more

I would have chosen zero stars if possible. The lady performing the tasting was not only completely ignorant about wines in general but also unable to open the bottles on her own and had to ask me (the customer) for assistance with a wine bottle opener. She was unable to answer a single question that I asked, which was disappointing. This, in conjunction with the obscene tasting fee to the tune of $30 per person makes J.Maki a place that I will never visit again or recommend to my friends or family. The owner walked into the tasting room the majority of the way through our tasting and I attempted to engage him in conversation by asking about the wines. He was condescending, rude and refused to provide us with samples of the "Champagnes" that were offered by the glass, saying they were "too expensive to waste on a tasting." How am I supposed to know if I'd like to buy a glass or even a bottle if I've never tasted it? This is how: the tasting sheet says "Tasting complimentary with wine purchase" otherwise it is $30. I understood that and don't expect a business to give away product for free. I was told it was illegal to open a bottle on the premises so we opted to get 2 glasses of champagne. This was, in fact, a wine purchase. What the sheet does not say and is completely false advertising is that EACH person in the party must purchase a BOTTLE of wine for the fee to be waived. In addition, mid conversation, he took our glasses (after I had asked to re-taste a drop of wine) into the back room and didn't bring them back out. He also didn't finish the conversation and insulted and scoffed at the wine region in Virginia. I am not sure if he realized that his fine establishment is in the state of Pennsylvania, which is even less known for its wines and has a poorer reputation. I understand elitism, but it must be warranted. If the quality of the product provided was exemplary, I could try to understand his attitude. Unfortunately, it is not. The owner is simply arrogant trying to push product down customer's throats before even truly letting them taste the wine. Please, come to this winery if you enjoy sub-par quality wines, poor service, dirty toilets, eavesdropping while you're attempting to enjoy a glass of wine, rude and condescending staff and more! I especially enjoyed him telling me he was unable to divide the tasting fees per person because the "system was unable to do that". Mind you, the cost was $92 and could have easily been done as two transactions (one for each person). After paying, he tossed the credit card on the bar back at us along with a pen. The profound lack of respect for patrons was remarkable. Truly, this place is one-of-a-kind and I hope it remains that way. read more

The building is beautiful, lovely setting. The Mrs. Owner greeted us like we were bothering her, honestly not friendly at all. She passed us off to Mr. Owner who was better but still had a snooty attitude. He did explain the wines,.and the history of Maki. The.wine was good but way way overpriced. They are famous for their ice wine. Years ago they won a prize for their champagne, but we were not offered any. We ended up buying 3 bottles of wine 2 red and one white. and it cost about $130.00, average price was $35 to $ 40 per bottle, and there were others that were more expensive! There is ridiculous wine tasting charge of $12.00 each, or each taster had to buy a bottle. I was excited at first because it was a Pennsylvania winery, it was a very expensive ride out west. I won't be looking for Maki in our local liquor stores! If you want to buy American wines, there are better ones available. read more

I visited once before during the summer and had a good experience. However, when I returned this time to purchase some bottles there wasn't a sole to be found on the property. This was during their normal business hours and there was just a sign stating, "In Back. Give A Holler." Well, I hollered and hollered, but still no one to be found. I even took a walk around the property and still couldn't find anyone. I could have easily just walked out with a case. I definitely won't be coming back. read more

What a mistake it was to stop at this winery! We should have read Yelp before we pulled off the PA Turnpike. On a leisurely drive home to Harrisburg from our daughter's home in Philadelphia we decided to make a side trip to the J. Maki Winery. This was the worst tasting experience we have ever had. We understood that it was expected to buy a bottle which we usually do anyway as a courtesy for tasting. The owner who was pouring was rude and arrogant. His so called award winning wines are not that great and overpriced. He pours the tiniest splash for the tasting and nothing is offered to cleanse the palette between tasting. As each wine was poured we had to ask which wine we were tasting. When we were ready to pay he informed us that we had to buy two bottles because two of us tasted or we had to pay $30.00 for the second person. What a disappointment! read more

This review is based solely on the service - not the wine itself. Unless you are ready to get a lesson in European wine and vocabulary this probably is not the ideal winery for your average wine drinker who simply wants a glass after a hard day of work. After about 3 tastings I was completely put off by the one owner's "I know more than you and am going to shove my knowledge and huge French awards (very prominently displayed) down your throat whether you like it or not" attitude (the female). The only redemption is that we happened to get three bottles of wine for around $37 (from reading other reviews I gather that is not the norm). We were very plainly about to leave the winery and the female owner still had the audacity to bring out a "wheel of wine vocabulary" and asked me if I wanted to review it....I courteously responded with a "not necessary." These people need to take a lesson in customer service etiquette. read more

My husband and I just had a wonderful tasting at this sophisticated winery. We were greeted by the owner who was pleasant, friendly and very welcoming. This winery is for people serious about wine and you do not need to pretend you are all knowledgeable. You only need to know what you like and be polite! We tasted nearly a dozen different wines and there wasn't a single one we didn't like. We bought several bottles so tasting did not cost anything. We are so impressed with the quality. Put this spot on your list, compare it to others you have visited and you will understand what all wineries should aspire to be! read more

Thus far it is my worst wine tasteing experience. First the owner needs to understand not everyone has the same taste buds. The owner being quite proud of his wine, boasted of his award winning wines. I found it did nothing for me I found them to be much sweeter than I prefer. I prefer full bodied dry reds, I stated this before we agreed to taste. The lure of the owner is to get you to purchase a bottle, you may taste provided you buy a bottle or throw him the $30.00 it cost for his samples. read more

Decent but overpriced sparkling wine and ice wine. Everything else is garbage. Don't waste your time or money here. You can find better in PA. The owners should be ashamed of themselves for charging $30 for the most meager wine tasting you will ever experience - barely enough liquid to make it out of the glass and into your mouth. The owner, Janet Maki, is often in the tasting room. She's a pompous a-hole who is rude and unwelcoming to customers. She doesn't need or want your business. It's almost worth visiting once just so that you can benchmark how bad a winery can be. read more

My wife and I went to the Maki Winery, tasted a few white wines but I was surprised to see 2008 and 2009 chardonnay being offered for sale...seems like the owner tries to sell sub par wine that is "over the hill" to an unsuspecting clientele. We have been enjoying fine wines from many different regions of over 35 years...I would suggest using the expertise of someone like Retail Wine Specialist, Ethan Thomas at the Devon Fine Wine and Spirits store to assist and make suggestions...the Pa State store return policy is the BEST I have encountered ! NOT SO with the Maki Winery ! Buyer Beware !!! read more

As we were driving on the PA Turnpike to our home in Chambersburg we noticed the sign for the J.Maki Winery. So we decided to take the detour and see what this place had to offer. Big mistake!!! Even though it was nice to see the 32 acres of grape vines once inside the tasting room we were meet by the owner, which he was extremely rude and arrogant. We asked what the tasting fee was and he stated it was complimentary when purchasing a bottle of wine. We proceeded to have two tastings, which were the smallest we have ever experienced in 40 years of wine tasting. We decided to buy a bottle of wine and then the owner stated since we had two tastings there would be a single tasting fee of $30 (Napa Valley does not even charge this much!!!!). The comment was made by the owner, very sarcastically that he does not give away free samples. We will never make the same mistake again and would not recommend this winery to anyone!!!!!!!!!!! read more

I am dismayed to read the negative reviews on the site about this winery. I've been here several times, and each time I was greeted with warmth. The owners, Janet and Jamie, spent a lot of time in discussion on wines and other topics. Yes it's true that you pay for a tasting (I think $10) or if you make a purchase it is free, but then again most wineries operate this way locally (Chaddsford, Kreutz...) as well as in Sonoma and Napa (was there last June). The chard and PGV are great whites. I mean really great. I have a 500+ bottle collection and bought 6 cases. The reds are different but I like them as well. They have specials from time to time which brings the price down to something more reasonable. Kudos for Janet and Jamie pulling as much as they have out of PA soil!!!!!!! I'm a fan and love to support local initiatives. BTW, the place is charming and the drive there is lovely. read more