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Pelletiere Estate-
Our very good friend, who lives in Paso, recommended this winery to us, so we made sure to make it a priority on our trip. We're sure glad we did- it’s not only that they have great wines, but they have very unique wines for Paso. Pelletiere specializes in Italian varietals, which is not the norm of what you find in Paso, where they are more known for their traditional Rhone-style Blends and Varietals.
Janis Denner is the owner and her maiden name is Pelletiere. The tasting room is gorgeous, and resides inside of a large barn structure. Outside we were greeted, by Ginger, the "security dog."
What we tasted:
2014 Viognier
2012 Nebbiolo
2014 Vino Rosso Red Wine
Dolce Vendimmia (AKA late harvest zin)
What we bought:
2014 Viognier
2012 Nebbiolo Riserva
2014 Vino Rosso Red Wine
Yep, bought everything we tasted except the late harvest, although the late harvest was REALLY good! I just have a bad tendency of forgetting about late harvest wines and they end up sitting in my wine fridge forgotten.
We had come on a day where Janis had just finished bottling, and was nearly sold out of everything. Because of this, the tasting list was somewhat limited, but we did get to taste out of a newly bottled Syrah, which was a treat. My favorite from the tasting was the Nebbiolo, which is the Italian version of a Pinot Noir. There are a few differences between Nebbiolo and Pinot, one being that making Nebbiolo requires a PHD degree; Pinot only requires a Master in wine making. Also, Nebbiolo has a distinctive candied tangerine flavor that is so good!!! Janis explained that’s the main distinction that sommeliers look for when tasting Nebbiolos.
We had a great time at this tasting, Janis is so nice and very knowledgeable. You could tell how passionate she was about her wine....and she has really nice jugs! No, really! (see pic below)
On our way out, we took some pictures of the camera ready sheep (Vio; Sangio; and Monte) outside, because why not? I love Paso.
Inside the tasting room was a beautiful large table, a wine tasting bar, and large barrels filled with wine- the tasting room doubles as a storage facility, so bring a jacket or sweater, as it can be rather chilly.