Is there parking available at LJ Crafted Wines in Bird Rock?

Yes, there's parking available on-site and in the surrounding Bird Rock area. Since it's a casual neighborhood spot, you won't typically need to circle endlessly, but it can get tight during peak weekend hours—arrive a bit earlier if you're planning a group visit.

Do I need a reservation, or can I just walk in?

They take reservations and are happy to accommodate walk-ins, depending on availability. For a tasting flight or group dinner, booking ahead is smart—especially weekends—but the staff is welcoming to spontaneous visitors grabbing a glass at the bar.

What should I order on my first visit?

Start with a flight to sample their range, then definitely try the Sangiovese and the bacon-wrapped dates if they have them. Since they brew their own wines in-house, you're getting something you won't find everywhere else in Bird Rock, and the staff actually knows how to talk you through what makes each one work.

Are kids and dogs welcome?

Both are welcome here—it's got that neighborhood-staple vibe that works for families and pet owners. The outdoor seating is perfect for bringing your dog along while you taste, and the casual atmosphere means kids aren't going to feel out of place either.

Do they have options for dietary restrictions?

They offer charcuterie and small bites alongside the wine program, so there's food beyond just the tasting. It's worth calling ahead if you have specific dietary needs, but the spot is accommodating and the staff is genuinely interested in making your visit work.

When's the best time to visit if I want a relaxed experience?

Weekday afternoons are your sweet spot for a calm tasting and real conversation with the staff. Weekends get busier, especially evenings, but that's also when the neighborhood energy is highest if you want to be around people.

Is there a dress code?

No—it's casual and laid-back in Bird Rock. Come as you are; this isn't a stuffy wine club, it's a neighborhood joint where locals show up in their everyday gear.

LJ Crafted Wines - Wines & Tastings — Wine Bars in Bird Roc…

“LJ Crafted Wines makes wine in-house in a Bird Rock storefront, which immediately separates it from every tasting room in the county.”

While Bird Rock Coffee obsesses over extraction ratios and Lupi guards Roman pasta secrets, LJ Crafted operates as an urban winery—meaning they're actually *producing* wine on La Jolla Boulevard, not just pouring bottles shipped from Napa. The setup runs part tasting bar, part production facility, part bottle shop, which gives the whole operation a garage-band energy that coastal wine bars typically lack.

The **Sangiovese** gets consistent mentions for balancing fruit and structure without going heavy on oak, a wine that drinks well now instead of requiring a decade in your cellar. Their approach skews hands-on: small batches, direct sourcing, the kind of operation where the person pouring your flight might also be the person who racked the barrels last week. The **bacon-wrapped dates** work because they're bacon-wrapped dates—some things don't need reinvention—and they pair properly with their reds.

This is the spot for people who want to understand *how* wine gets made, not just taste the finished product. The owners take time to walk through process, answer fermentation questions, explain why they source from specific vineyards. Service runs knowledgeable without sliding into sommelier theater—Ray and James both get named in reviews for actually caring whether you leave understanding something new.

They offer flights, glasses, bottles to go, and a membership program that makes sense if you're local and tired of driving to Temecula for vineyard access. Outdoor seating handles the dog-friendly crowd. Fair warning: pricing shifts have annoyed some customers during online booking, so call directly if you're setting up a tasting.

This isn't a polished tasting room with vineyard views and charcuterie boards that cost $40. It's a working winery in a neighborhood storefront, which makes it the rarest thing in coastal San Diego—a wine spot with dirt under its fingernails.