The service was wonderful, pretty grounds & vineyards! The tasting room is in the barrel room where they keep the wines, very cozy kitsch. Our favorite was a Syrah and a port. We bought a few bottles and will definitely be back! read more

Loxton Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Glen Ellen, California

True hidden gem. Amazing deal $20 PP walk-ins welcome anytime. Usually you will be personally hosted by the owner winemaker himself chris loxton. Who is an absolute delight to be around. Dont miss this one! Great vino! And beautiful grounds read more

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We went in for a tasting today. It was incredibly clean and warm. We were surprised to learn they had been bottling all morning because there was no remnants of it happening. The tasting happened at a small bar, standing room only. The person who was running our tasting (I forget her babe but she was absolutely fantastic) was so informative. She answered all of our questions and gave just the right amount of information with each pour. One person in my party signed up for a membership (the wine was that good). read more

We live at the corner of the 'L' that is Wine Country, Mendocino-Sonoma-Napa. As such, we get asked alot of where to go to do wine tasting. Here is the answer... Loxton Cellars ! If you miss this one, you have missed the best. Please read the other reviews that will support my point and add a lot of interesting information. This is your best chance to be received by the winemaker, unless he's in Australia helping with the harvest down under. Do I need to say more? read more

What a great experience The tour with owner Chris was wonderful. You can tell how much he enjoys the process of winemaking while guarding the local wild life & environment. It was a enlightening look into responsible farming. Just got my shipment of Viognier. It is amazing. The pricing on all his wines was quite reasonable. Don't miss this gem!! read more

Loxton is a smaller winery with wines tailored more towards the Australia line. We loved the port. Nice grounds and friendly dog.

Perfect service provided by Loxton himself, the most knowledgeable man who makes wine himself. He is funny and very casual very friendly and approachable! I'd love to go back! I highly recommend this place! read more

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Loxton Cellars was our favorite stop on a wine tour we took with Platypus Wine Tours: https://www.yelp.com/biz/platypus-wine-tours-napa. Loxton is one of my favorite wineries of all the ones I've visited in both the Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley wine regions over the years. Here are the reasons why: 1. This is a small, humble, intimate winery where you can see every step of the winemaking process. Unlike other wineries, this one doesn't have that touristy, commercialized feel. It's the opposite. This is a sole proprietorship. Owner/winemaker Chris Loxton and his team are very welcoming, transparent, and open with the business. Again, unlike other wineries, this one is a labor of love. It's refreshing and genuine. 2. The wines taste great and are reasonably priced. I'm not a wine connoisseur. I just know all the wines we tasted at Loxton were fantastic and some of the best I've tasted anywhere. I ended up buying a bottle of the 2021 Sencillo (Sonoma County, $28) and the 2019 Zinfandel, Sonoma Hillside Vineyards (Sonoma Valley, $32). We took the bottle of Sencillo, a white wine, with us to our nice steak and seafood dinner in Petaluma. To date, it's perhaps the most enjoyable white I've had. The Zin was wonderful as well. 3. The staff is terrific. "Lisa of Loxton" was our guide. She took us on a small tour of the facility and led our wine tasting. She had a great personality, very laid-back and easygoing. We got along well with her. We also met Kristi, who was polite and friendly. We saw Chris, but didn't get the chance to meet him. He and the staff were busy working. I liked how they let us get up close to the grapes and the ENOTOOLS Vega 10 destemmer machine. Since I'd not seen one that close and in action before, I thought it was fascinating. We met other staff, but I forgot their names. Everyone was nice. 4. It's not crowded. This goes along with item 1 above. During our visit around 11am on an ordinary Friday, we were one of only two or three groups total on the property at any given time. And we had the biggest group with six people. It felt like it was just us and a handful of workers. Our visit was quiet, comfortable, and relaxing. We stayed for about 1.5 to 2 hours. Our tasting was conducted at a table outside, right next to the vineyards. The weather was perfect. If you end up buying wines from Loxton, I suggest having them ship your wine for you. Like the wine prices, the shipping cost that Lisa quoted to me for a shipment to North Carolina was reasonable. Sonoma Valley has businesses that will pack and ship wine for you, but you have to find locations that are open where and when it is convenient for you. To save yourself time and effort, just have the winery pack and ship for you. Our tasting fee was $20 per person, but the fee was waived if we purchased wine, so we each bought at least one bottle. About 40% of Loxton wines are estate wines, from Chris' five-acre property. The rest comes from other vineyards in Sonoma Valley, Russian River Valley, and the Petaluma Gap. The 2017 Syrah estate wine was magnificent. You can't come to Loxton and not try the Syrah, a.k.a. Shiraz. I recommend it. You can see some of the hills where the non-estate grapes originated from the Loxton property: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/loxton-cellars-glen-ellen-2?select=ay43IaKuQ6sPtJwY5k-zyA. Unlike other winery owners, Chris was there working on the grounds, getting his hands dirty during our visit. He's a former experimental physicist and research scientist. Thank you to Lisa, Kristi, Chris, and the rest of the Loxton Cellars team for a delightful experience and the delicious wine. read more

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Loxton Cellars is our favorite spot in Sonoma Valley. One of the very few if only that still welcomes walk-ins, tastings are $20 I believe which is another bargain. The tasting is waived if you purchase a bottle. I promise you will buy more than one. On this visit we passed on the tasting as we are very familiar with their wines. We each purchased a glass and went out to the Adirondack chairs and sat savoring our wine overlooking the vineyard. The wines are always wonderful. Loxton is a small winery owned by Chris Loxton who is from Australia and from a family of winemakers. You will typically see Chris in the tasting room, guiding a tour or working in the vineyard. He is so nice and personable and very easy to talk to. Everyone working at the winery is knowledgeable about the wines and so friendly. It is not pretentious, very unique and quaint. Truly a treasure amongst the bigger wineries and that is why we adore coming here. read more

Loxton Cellars - Rose and Syrah overlooking the vineyards. - Wineries Near Me - Glen Ellen, California

We had an incredible tasting experience here. The atmosphere is humble, family-friendly, and very reasonably priced. It felt refreshingly uncommercial compared to some of the other wineries in the area. We had a great conversation with the owner, Chris Loxton, who personally guided us through the tasting. There's plenty of outdoor seating overlooking the vineyards and surrounding hills, perfect for relaxing after your visit. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here and can't wait to be back. read more

We had a wonderful time at this wine tasting session. Nancy was incredibly knowledgeable and had a very charismatic persona. Thank you so much. We had an amazing time! read more

It was incredible! Loved talking to Chris. He is so knowledgeable and taught us so much. Went with a few of my girlfriends and it was the perfect relaxing trip. Even got to see some grapes fermenting! read more

Terrific Chris Loxton, the owner/ winemaker did the tasting at Loxton and he was very entertaining and charming. Tasted my group on his Rose of Syrah, then his Syrah, and then Zinfandel from the infamous Rossi vineyard and then his Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah blend- terrific and then finishes it off with a late harvest Zin port. With just a touch of sweetness, it's sublime and so perfect to end the tasting. read more

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THE BEST wine tasting experience in Sonoma!! Chris is personable, interesting, educated, calculated and shares his passion and wealth of knowledge with his guests. You're going to want to buy his wine even before you taste it! And once you do, you're going to join the wine club!! His attention to detail is evident in the final product. He knows the vines, the rows, the intricacies like the back of his hand. When you care more about quality than quantity, you're going to produce excellence. And besides, listening to him talk is worth the stop! ;) read more

Loxton Cellars - Chris Loxton - Wineries Near Me - Glen Ellen, California

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Chris Loxton personally guided us through our wine tasting...he is delightful! This winery was new to us, and turned out to be a great find. Very nice reds (including a lovely bold zin, a very drinkable rosé, and an outstanding port!) Combine lively wines, great personal touch, and Australian charm...Loxton was a winner for us! read more

Such an ideal, intimidate, easy wine-tasting experience at this beautiful, sprawling vineyard run by just four passionate (and dog-friendly) people. You sit outside at picnic tables shaded by an orange umbrella and look out at the rows of grapevines. Loved the port and rose especially, and took home a bottle of rose. Brought our dog and wandered the vineyards after and they all loved it. 5 stars!!!! read more

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This place is amazing! We really messed up starting with this winery because no other winery lived up to our experience here. It is small but so intimate and their service and pricing is top tier! Nancy was incredible! She really knows her stuff and taught us so much about the wine making process. She was personable and funny, she really made this experience for us! She rocks! If you're thinking about it, definitely make a stop here! read more

I came here on a Platypus tour and I am so glad that they took us here!! When we arrived we were greeted by the owner- this sweet Australian man. He told us about his grapes and what he's done while being a wine maker. He was super sweet and was very passionate about his wines! We tried a handful of his wines and they were all great. My favorite was the Cabernet. I bought 2 bottles to take home. The scenery is great as well; it is so picturesque! It's a really great spot to enjoy some wine and talk to the wine maker himself! I would definitely come back here when visiting Napa/Sonoma again. read more

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I stopped for some wine tasting on my way from Jack London's house visit. I was positively surprised by the wine tasting - great tasting balanced wines, with fee waived if you buy a bottle of their wines. Needless to say, I walked out with a bottle that I plan to share with my friends. I must say that it felt a lot less commercial compared to some other visits and wine tasting. I was able to chat with the owner, a former physicist researcher with multiple generations of wine makers in his family. I recommens this winery for a true local experience. read more

Small winery with great views, delicious wines and the best, most knowledgeable Australian owner.., we learned a lot and enjoyed a lot.

Just off the Silverado Trail Road, we found this quiet and quaint winery. An Aussie wine maker with years of experience producing fabulous wines. We fell in love with the Rose! Our hostess was very nice and knowledgeable about the wine and history. Great Pinot Noirs as well! read more

Loxton Cellars - The Orange Couple in the Loxton Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Glen Ellen, California

Such a fun tasting! Really relaxed and homey atmosphere. We went right during crush and learned so much about how they make their wines. The GSP is a lovely red; we bought four bottles and will be back for more for sure. Affordable tasting and wines. read more

This was the last winery we visited on my trip to Napa with friends. It came recommended to us by another friend. We chose it for the last day as we knew it was smaller and more relaxed. We had a LOVELY time sitting in the sunshine and doing our tasting with Chris Loxton. It was so special to have the winemaker and owner be the one showing us around and telling us about his winery! We were all compelled to fly wine back with us. Chris was funny and knowledgeable and we had a wonderful time learning from him. We all hope to come back! read more

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We walked in with no reservation and were warmly welcomed to a very educational and tasty tasting. The experience felt very homey and warm. Nancy welcomed us with a smile and showed us around after the tasting! We could not recommend this place enough. Don't miss it. read more

Came for a tasting and had a perfect experience. Came on a Monday afternoon and made an online reservation the morning of. Everything was as it should be - the wines were varied and tasty, our server was knowledgeable and friendly, we were able to sit far away from other guests which made us feel a lot safer with COVID. They even threw in a bonus 6th tasting for free. My wife dislikes port but loved theirs. We suspect is because they use a "neutral" alcohol instead of the traditional cognac or brandy. We also loved the late harvest zin because it has a unique combination of sweetness and spice. read more

Fantastic experience with Chris on the walk-about tour! He has a great personality with a balance of entertainment and education. Oh, and the wines, GREAT!!! Simple process, trusted ingredients, no none-sense and attention to detail with no compromise to excellence. I highly recommend making this stop a priority on your wine tours in Sonoma/Napa. read more

This was a very unique experience. Chris Loxton is a fourth generation winemaker from Australia who also is a physicist. If you want to geek out about grape growing or winemaking, he is the guy to go see. There is nothing fancy about this experience, but you leave with knowledge that you will keep for life. The wines are fantastic as well: he takes obvious pride in keeping his vineyard sustainable and his wine delicious. For a personal, authentic approach to the wine world, go see Chris. read more

Loxton Cellars - Lookout Quail - Wineries Near Me - Glen Ellen, California

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This place is great. Chill vibe, some really good wines, and the host/owner is hilarious. Our group really enjoyed our stay here and would recommend! read more

A GEM in the wine country! Absolutely wonderful! Walk-Ins are welcome and is true. A lovely and unique experience, because is not a commercial venture. Quiet and charming. The tasting is waived if you buy one bottle, the wine is so good people end with more than one. A must is the port! After visiting so many wineries, this one was the star of the trip. Will come back for sure! read more

What a beautiful and perfect find. This place was wonderful. With so many other places around, we too happened upon this place and we felt so lucky we did. Quiet and quaint this place took you away from the bustle, which there was quite a bit of being Labor Day weekend. We got to taste some great wines and we got to hear the incredible story behind the winery and its owner Chris Loxton, an Australian physicist (if I remember correctly), who came to the States to do his post-doc research. He changed his mind and began teaching himself to make wine instead. Fast forward a bit and you find him here, still working hard and still in a passionate way. You hear it in his stories and you can taste it in his wine. This place is unique and the type of experience we were searching for. It could not have been more perfect. We just recently got our first wine club shipment too! I highly recommend skipping some of those larger places for a more intimate and real experience here. You avoid the crowds and you just get to relax. read more

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Absolutely amazing experience!! We loved that this winery allows outside snacks, it's outdoor space with picnic tables are so perfectly situated by the grape vines. The winery is laid back and our host was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions thoroughly. The wine was delicious, especially their Zyrah's :) Definitely adding this pretty, low key winery to our Sonoma faves! read more

We came here on a recommendation for a "laid-back wine experience" and Loxton did not disappoint! We booked the tasting the night before and were warmly greeted upon arrival. The Loxton team is extremely knowledgeable, and our outdoor tasting experience was intimate without feeling intimidating. Loxton featured some of the most reasonably priced bottles during our weekend in Sonoma, so we were more than happy to bring home some bottles to enjoy in the future. If you're looking for a chill wine experience, I can't recommend Loxton enough. read more

We absolutely loved the setting, the seclusion, and the syrah. We also loved the humble vibe and that it's just about the wine, and not about a decked-out mansion tasting room. Unfortunately, the lady pouring our tasting kept taking out a crumpled up tissue and poking it up her nostrils with her finger tips while talking to us about the wine, then putting the same fingers on the wine nozzle to open it. During covid era, people really don't need that... I think if the server has a runny nose, she should be wearing a mask or washing hands between touching her nose and serving wine. As industry locals, we noticed a few other things. It seemed like she came out with the next pour far too quick, even though we were the only ones there for most of our visit. When she returned fast again after the second pour, I kindly said I wasn't ready, and she stood there waiting. The entire tasting was essentially over in 25 minutes. I also think waiting for guests to finish getting out of their cars before approaching them would feel less rushed and more welcoming. The pours were small, which I don't mind at all, but they were so uneven between me and my partner! It would be better to pour the same amount of wine for everyone who is seated together. It might be nice to offer bags with handles for wine purchases, especially on hot days when nobody would leave wine in the car. We bought two bottles, and luckily had a reusable grocery bag in the car, otherwise we wouldn't have had any way to carry the wines for the rest of the day. When I asked my partner if we would go back, he said he wasn't sure. Based on the other reviews, I think if we had Chris himself as our host, we would've had a completely different and better experience. read more

Truely excellent wine in an intimate setting. Prices are quite reasonable both for the tasting ($20) and for bottles ($20-45). The staff were extremely friendly and provided a professional and personal tasting experience that focused much more on the story of the place and the wines than on tasting notes. I will absolutely be returning and I highly recommend Loxton to anyone looking for handcrafted wines at a price you can actually afford. If I was looking to join a wine club, this is the one I would join. read more

Loxton Cellars - The view from our chairs across Sonoma Valley with rows of Syrah vines in the foreground - Wineries Near Me - Glen Ellen, California

Our tasting here was our first stop in Sonoma, and it was the perfect way to kick off our trip! This is a small operation, literally ran by four people, and the wine they're making is so impressive! The grounds are gorgeous, the wine is great, and our sommelier, Barrett, was amazing! Thanks for treating us right, Loxton Cellars! read more

Loxton Cellars - a glass of red wine - Wineries Near Me - Glen Ellen, California

A micro winery definitely worth the stop. Every wine on the list was delightful. Enjoyed Allysa's knowledge and the wine maker himself Chris Loxton really made it a special experience! read more

Loxton Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Glen Ellen, California

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Loxton was a wonderful experience that I recommend to anyone in Sonoma area. We scheduled a private tasting for 5. We were met at the door by the owner who we found to be funny, informational and just lovely. He was knowledgeable and did a great job explaining things to us. He had a great story and we loved hearing all about it. I think my fav was the Zinfandel. Def go and give this place a try! read more

Loxton Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Glen Ellen, California

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Had another nice visit with Chris. We have been wine club members since we were introduced to this wonderful winery 4 years ago by Platypus tours. I love the way he works with the land to understand what it takes for each section to produce the right result. ( You can take the man out of science, but you can't take science out of the man). Ask to see the upside down world map. read more

Loxton Cellars - Aussie Map at Loxton - Wineries Near Me - Glen Ellen, California

A beautiful view, passionate owner, great information, and delicious wine! The owner, Chris, has so much experience and was a great host! Loved we could also bring our lunch there. read more

Wonderful wine tasting with Lisa. She was informative and quite funny! The wine was tasty and the winery beautiful. And you can't beat the prices on the bottles of wine. Our group of 6 had an amazing time and will return when we go back to Sonoma. read more