J Emerson

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

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

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.

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.