The recent trip to Paso Robles has apparently erased all memories of a trip out to the Murphey's/Sierra Foothills area a few weeks ago & until we were thirsty enough last night to crack one of the bottles from Lavender Ridge had also forgotten just how good this stuff is. We had to like it I thought, as there were at least a mixed case worth of their wine in the cellar that we never put away after bringing them home. Oh well, it's like finding a $20 bill in your pocket or a X-Mas present you forgot to give a few years back when you find a good stash of vino! I can appreciate some people's affinity to Lavender (the flower that is) but personally, I can't stand the smell of that crap! Reminds me of that "old lady house" "aging hippie" or the fact that somebody is trying to cover up another really bad smell. So sorry Lea B., I cannot find the bliss & relationship that you had BUT...I can say these guys make some very tasty Rhone's! Especially after the couple days in Paso in which I had some pretty effing incredible white & red Rhone's, the quality from Lavender (& Murphey's in general) was quite comparable. Their Cote du Calaveras Blanc is a perfect expression of some of my favorite grape friends. Marsanne, Rousanne, Viognier & a little Grenache Blanc make up this almost bone dry, slightly fruity, steely & earthy white blend. Pair this with some x-tra spicy jerked chicken, Thai or Indian food & the slightly viscous nectar will calm & sooth any palette. Their red GSM (actually GSMPSAB) Cotes du Calaveras was equally impressive & the addition of the Alicant Bouchet really made this ($18!!) bottle scream. Loved the Mouvedre & would give the Syrah a solid 83 pts. All in all worth the trip! read more

The girls that were working here on our last trip to Murphys were very sweet and welcoming. They also offer a cheese and wine tasting option which we did not do but people around us really seemed to be enjoying it! My only complaint is that despite buying 2 bottles of their port, they would only wave one of the tasting fees for my husband and I. At the time we were there I didn't really think to argue about it, we just paid and went on our way, but after I left and thought about it a little more it actually started to bother me quite a bit. We bought 2 bottles, both of the fees should have been waived... just saying. ***Update... I changed this from a 4 star to a 5 star. We went here again a few weeks ago (3/22/14) and have nothing but wonderful things to say about our experience. We did the wine and cheese tasting this time (yummy!). The staff was great, the wines were great, we will definitely be back! read more

Favorite tasting room! Kevin was very nice and knowledgeable. The cheese and wine parings were excellent. The Seahive cheese was the best!!! The Vin Doux was amazing! I'll def be back. read more

This tasting room was recommend by a friend and we're glad we stopped in. Friday afternoon and it wasn't busy at all. Smells wonderful (like lavender) when you walk in. They do wine and cheese pairings which really makes a difference when your tasting wines. As primarily red wine drinkers we were very impressed with the whites and bought the Viognier and the Rolle. We were totally sucked in by the cheese selection and purchased some of those as well. Stop by. You won't regret it. read more

I can't believe I haven't written a review for Lavender Ridge yet!! I loooove this place--so much so that I am a wine club member :-) First of all, I love lavender (the color, the flower, the herb, etc etc), so in my opinion the tasting room is just perfect! Plenty of locally made lavender products and bunches of lavender hanging all over as well. But really, it's all about the wine! We had the Cote du Calaveras Blanc at our wedding and it was a hit! Other favorites of ours are their Grenache, Roussane, and Mourvedre...but really you can't go wrong here! Also, as others have mentioned, they always have great little food pairings to go along with the wines. I usually can't leave without buying at least one cheese from their fridge--they have some really unique finds! Ooh, and if they have it in stock, you should try this jam-like spread that is made from the crushed grapes. It is great with cheese and crackers! read more

NOTE: Lavender Ridge Tasting Room is now located at 425A Main Street, not 431B Downtown Murphys wine tasting room Rhone wines and the scent of lavender, your loved one and two wonderful retrievers at your feet...can there be anything better on a sunny April day? Lavender Ridge has some very nice wines, several of which we purchased. Why the 3? We were tasting at their old tasting room in April. The room was hardly bigger than a walk-in closet and filling up quickly. I tasted a couple of wines then took the dogs outside because the closet was filling up. FYI - even though there were tables and chairs outside we were not allowed to taste outside. It is some kind of Murphys ordinance. Lavender Ridge has since moved to a new location so we will be tasting there soon and re-evaluate. 11/25/07 Re-visited Lavender Ridge at their new location. Very nice and spacious. The building is an historic landmark in the area. We were not overly impressed with the wines this time, however. We did purchase a bottle of the Cotes du Calaveras. The service was attentive and we were allowed to bring our dogs into the tasting room. read more

Stopped in here yesterday while exploring downtown Murpheys. The cheese plate lured me in, as they usually do. For five dollars you get six tastings and three tastings of cheese. YUM! The white wines here are a little too light for me, but the reds were on point. I particularly loved the Cote De Calaveras with the Bay Blue blue cheese. Such an amazing combo that I had to buy both. They also have a pretty awesome cheese selection, delectable looking books and a whole wall filled with all your lavender needs. Ron who helped us was a great guy with a sense of humor. He helped us pick out a bottle of wine and two cheeses. My favorite winery of the day! read more

Loved it! Went to several different wineries and tasting rooms while on a 3 day weekend in Murphys recently. Stopped in Lavender's tasting room. Sweet young woman behind the counter greeted us warmly. When we asked for a wine and cheese pairing, her face lit up which told me she was excited about the cheeses they have to offer. She could not have been more right! So many wonderful cheese that they pair with some of their wonderful wines! I was impressed when I learned that when they get new varieties of cheese in, they try them with each of their wines to pick the perfect pairing. The only thing better than wine and cheese to me, is wine and chocolate. So I was in heaven here. (Oh, they also have some yummy chocolate!) I was thrilled to find out they had insulated bags I could buy to transport the cheese. They even stuffed it with two reusable ice packs. It made the 6 hour drive home with no problem! read more

I loved everything about this place. We tasted only whites, they were all wonderful... especially the one aged in a 6 ft tall concrete egg. The cheese pairings were fantastic, definitely try the brilliat...best cheese I've had in recent memory. The store had some awesome goodies as well. We'll be back! read more

Very cute tasting room and lovely wine. They have the cheese tasting with the wine tasting, which was a nice surprise. They have a ton of lavendar products for sale as well...including one of my favorite lines - 100% Pure. Will definitely come back here. Super cute, food, wine = happy : ) read more

Dropped in before and during the grape stomp. Staff are extremely friendly and informative. The wine selection is excellent. Today we are here for tasting and pairing with Rhône cheeses. Highly recommended. read more

Lavender Ridge Vineyard - Grenache Blanc, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Murphys, California

Huge fan of this place. We came by on the busiest day of the year, St. Patricks Day parade. The owner took us to the back for $15 and took care of us with as assortment of cheese and meat pairings. Excellent service, great wine, amazing cheese and we loved their products. This place is a must if you are in the area. read more

Really good wines! Their Grenache has a nice light fruit balance on the palate. The cheese section is what really impressed me! I never knew they offered such a variety in yummy cheeses. I can't wait to try more of their wines when I go cheese shopping! Awesome idea! read more

This was one of my favorite wine tasting places on our trip to Murphys! I loved the wine and cheese pairing and enjoyed all the tastings of both. Left there with a bottle of their white wine blend and some of the best gouda I have ever had. Highly recommend! read more

Super cute tasting room! Staff... not so friendly They didn't even acknowledge us. They were far too busy hooting it up with the people they were already waiting on. Thus, we never ended up actually getting to taste (so obviously this review is based on the ambiance). But, I like this place because of a) the location b) all the nice lavender products c) all the cheese - even though it's kinda stinky.... That's about it. read more

Cheese and wine pairing...always a nice concept. Hubby did the wine tasting while I walked around this old but cute building. None of the wine stood out for him but walked away with a couple of wedges of cheese. The girl behind the counter seems standoffish at first but eventually came around. One thing we didn't like...the girl's boyfriend (so it seems) was at the winery and was helping himself with some wine...so, not the thing to do in a business establishment. read more

Loved every drop of every wine I tried here. At other tasting rooms I had a LOT that we didn't like, but we liked EVERYTHING at Lavender.

I loooove any tasting room that can be one part spa, one part cheese shop, and one part tasting room. Seriously, good times...... Solid wines, very liberal with bites of cheese to pair with the wine. My favorite place in Murphys. read more

While I love the wine and cheese here, the service was subpar. I like talking and having a good time instead of it being all about the wine. Also, your 5 dollars only counts towards wine. You can't buy anything else with your tasting fee. read more

Wines were not exceptional; Syrah was probably the best. Service was just ok, not real warm or welcoming - and they weren't that busy. The do pair the wine with some interesting cheese so that was nice. I know Everyone just came off of a passport weekend so we'll chalk it up to visitor fatigue. They have all sorts of cool lavender products and gifts, so fun to look around. With all the great choices around Murphy's would probably choose to visit other places over this one next time. read more

Overall the wine quality in Murphys, I regret to say, is shit! Not the case with Lavender. Their wines are the exception for the most part and are worth the slighly highrer cost. Also end up walking out of this place with 1 or 2 things of cheese everytime as well... The guy cutting the cheese (literally) is a nice talkative guy and adds to the experience as well... read more

My friend and I walk in and courteously said our hellos. The two folks working behind the counter completely ignores us. So we said it a 2nd time, just a bit louder for emphasis. "How are you both today?" No response. Nothing, nada, zilch. So we proceeded to raise our voices a bit louder. "Hi, there!" Since we're the only customers in the tasting room, it wasn't as if the clamor of other people talking drowned out our Asian voices. I assure you that we may be small, but we are definitely not invisible. So how about a "how do you do" right back? Maybe, a "hello" or a "hi" next time? Of the other tasting rooms there in Murphys, all of which are awesome...this was the only discourteous one. We managed to rack up at least a bottle or two at each so their loss. read more

Awesome place! I purchased a few bath & body products for Christmas gift & can't wait to give them out.

This was my first time coming to Murphy's for wine tasting. We heard rave reviews and we were so disappointed by the customer service. The girls and guy working on Saturday 3/23 never smiled and were just rude. They claimed it was busy and every place we went to had the same amount of people and didn't treat their customers that way. The shop was cute but, I probably wouldn't be back unless different employees were there. read more

The wine here is excellent. A tasting will get you about 6 wines paired with their own cheese and local honey. The tasting room is filled with bunches of lavendar, so if the wine doesn't make you feel relaxed, then the lovely scent certainly will. read more

The wine and cheese pairing is always on point. However, the person pouring the wine is not as friendly as some of the others in Murphy's. We went in on a Saturday evening at 4:15 and they weren't in a hurry to serve us as they were having a special event at 5 pm. Their sign said they were open until 5 pm. This is not the first time we have experienced some rude staff. read more

I have 2 absolute favorite tasting rooms in Murphys, and this is one of them! I love there cheese tasting with their wines. I never leave without cheese as well as wine. We live close by & when we take our guests, we always go here first. I must add that I'm a red wine drinker, but I love their whites, too! Don't miss this winery! read more

Solid wines, great blends and a stellar wine & cheese pairing. Not your typical great wine meets mediocre cheap cheese. The cheese selections were so good and full of character, in fact, that I felt like they outshined the wines slightly. I found myself shopping the cheese selection and picked out a couple fabulous ones & some salami, then felt a little guilty and bought some wine as well. The wine is subtle, but a great blend and satisfying read more

This is a lovely place! This was the first wine tasting trip I ever did and this was the first stop my girls took me to. As soon as you open the door, you are welcomed with the aroma of lavender. The shop had cute items to decorate your home with, items to pamper yourself with, things you can use at home, and especially: wine & cheeses! As soon as I walked in and looked around the shop, I fell in love with everything it had! Then the wine tasting began. As we stood behind the counter and awaited a turn to sample what the store offered. I noticed, none of the employees approached us. There was two men and a lady. After a slot was open by the table, one of the men decided to assist a woman who just walked in. This woman came into the store to meet up with her friends and to catch up to where they were in their wine & cheese tasting. As we waited patiently, the girls were talking amongst each other and were waiting to be approached by one of the staff. After a good 10 min., the younger man finally went through the run down of the wine & cheese tasting. I must say, they have an ideal price for their tasting, which was $5. The organization of the sampling was simple and organized. The cheeses did compliment the wine and the server was very informative of the wine served. The bleu cheese was my favorite, paired with the last wine sampled. Remember, this is my first time wine tasting--I was aware of my surroundings and way to overly cautious to ensure that I wasn't going to make a fool of myself. During the wine tasting, I had noticed that the older man kept looking at my group of girls and would whisper to the other employees. This older man paid no attention to us whatsoever! I noticed after the whispering began, the younger man started to spend more time on the lady that just walked in with her group of friends; noticed he set out another round of cheeses to them and the pour of wine was greater than ours. I noticed that both men made conversation with others but was very blunt to us. So after the wine tasting, we continued to check out this adorable shop. I had my heart set on buying the bleu cheese! I approached the younger man and asked a question about buying the product and if it would not rot during the drive home. He ignored me and directed his attention to another customer. I turned away to shrug it off. Walking away from the store, the girls did also feel the uncomfortable vibe that the staff was giving. Our group was a total of 5; Asians & Mexicans. ********************************************************************************************* Overall, if you're not white/Caucasian--be prepared to get rudely stared at and ignored! I fell in lust with the store but the staff steered me the other direction. I would go back in for just the cheeses and I would recommend the wine tasting because the price isn't too bad, but their wine isn't that all great. read more

I love this place, it's so much more than just wine! This is a must see and taste location. Stop here and check out the great cheese selection they have among other unique items they sell! read more

Must try!!! Especially the food & wine tasting. Worth the $ (not expensive). The tasting room was closing and we happened to be walking by. Kevin actually spotted us walking by & checking it out and told us to come in, of course we did and truly happy he made the effort. The cheese & wine tasting was superb!!! We all went home with wine & cheese, some of the best cheese I've had in a LONG time!!! The Roussanne (white) was one of my favorites and the Saint Agur Blue Cheese is not to be missed. The Matos St. George from Sonoma is fantastic as well. Highly recommend and Kevin is a TRUE GEM!!! Will visit next time we're in Murphy. read more

Super kid friendly, great wines and cheese. They gave us a ton of cheese with our tasting so the kids could have some and even offered to send us home with some for no additional charge. Two thumbs up for this place! read more

In a town full of excellent wineries, these guys raise the bar by adding in cheese pairings... awesome! The wines are well made, they have character and the staff know how to talk about it... plus they pair cheeses with most of the wines you taste. We nearly left Murphy's without trying this place and it would have been a crying shame. read more

Delectable wine!! They have a 5 dollar tasting fee for I believe, 6 different wines. 3 whites and 3 reds if my memory serves correctly. They also pair 3 different cheeses with their tastings. Pretty nice for only 5 bucks. They do waive the tasting fee if you buy wine.. So my fee was definitely waived!!! I even found an amazingly good Pear with dried apricots and honey jelly, that they added to one of their cheese pairings. Not to mention I bought another specialty type of cheese that they also offered with another pairing! I enjoyed both, their reds and whites, even though I am typically a red wine drinker. It's a really cute tasting room that has all different types of cheeses, crackers, etc. Now that I'm back from my Murphys trip, I am looking forward to a, "wine and cheese," night with loved ones!! Thanks Lavender Ridge for some great cheese pairings with your great wines! read more

They served cheese with wine tasting. Friendly staff, and amazing wine and cheese. You got to stop by if you are near by

This was our first stop on a day full of wine tasting. Having nothing to initially compare it to, we thought it was alright. However as the day progressed we realized they were better than others. The tasting room/store had a rustic feel, much better than another tasting room that felt like the lobby of a med spa. Our server was friendly and the cheese pairing was a nice touch. 3 of us ended up buying wine here and another bought a couple of the cheeses we tried. The prices were decent and I think the little bag of lavender on the bottles made for the perfect gift! read more

I spent the most money in this winery - not just on the wine, but the goat cheese brie, lavender oil (great price!) and lavender linen spray. Oh and honey (from bees that feed on lavender). Oh and something else. Super friendly people and nice cheese pairings too! read more

So glad we stopped here. I love the lavender products, most were expensive but i found bath salts that were affordable. It was a great gift! And What a charming store! I love cheese and bought some here to eat at our campsite. I love to eat well while camping. Next time I would love to try the wine. BTW, Service was fantastic! She was so nice and friendly. Thank you, we will be back! read more

Likely the best selection of (locally sourced) lavender products in the area. Loved this store and service!

First time walking into this tasting room & was packed with lots of friendly folks. Our server was Jay he was very amusing enjoyed the small talk. Great cheese, Great wine, Great staff will DEFIANTLY be back again! read more