I had a great time here!! Came here for their Wines & Line Dancing event and that's a pretty good combo in my opinion! It's a beautiful, open-air winery and they have a good selection of wine to choose from. Bought a couple of bottles because they had a very good sale as well. read more

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My group and I went on a Sunday. There were only 3 people there, yet we waited quite a while until we were acknowledged. She brought us some menus finally and then we waited. Meanwhile, some more people showed up and went inside. We chose the outside as it was a beautiful day. It seemed like we were waiting quite a long time so I went inside to order our wine. She just handed me the bottle so I took it and poured it for my friends. We enjoyed the outside but we were never visited again to ask if we wanted anything else. I get it. She was alone and it got busy but at least communicate with the guests. We ended up visiting Puma Road Winery and were instantly greeted and treated very well. See my review for Puma. read more

I did a day trip out to this winery with my friend and her family to pick our wine for her wedding. Service was great, facility was clean, and most importantly, the wine was delicious! If you're in the Salinas area, you should definitely stop by! read more

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I love this place! Quiet and calm ambiance, with some good music on the vineyards. The indoor seating is great, but in nice weather, I recommend you sit outside to enjoy the sun! You must taste their Cabernet and Pinot Noir! They are exquisite! Service is on point! Everyone is so friendly and welcoming! You're allowed to bring your own food and hold a nice picnic there. It's a family friendly place! read more

Awesome winery they have great Pinot Noir and Cabernet they allow you to bring your picnic lunch and sit outside on the benches and enjoy a bottle of wine and your lunch. Great staff very knowledgeable, friendly. read more

We came as a large group; (we had reservations) to celebrate my niece & her fiancé's pending wedding. My niece was wearing a sash that said "bride to be" & fiancé "groom to be." We were barely acknowledged coming in & the woman serving made it clear she was the only one serving & that it was busy. Fellow visitors were approaching us saying their congratulations to my niece. The 2 wonderful men singing approached us & congratulated my niece, asked their names. They then congratulated them via microphone & played a special song for them. The entire visit our server never acknowledged the special event. There was never any information on the winery itself or on the wine we were tasting. We were just given a tasting menu & told to make our selections. Wine was so so. It would've been nice to know more about the wines before we had to select. This was not the first winery on our day trip & the others really made it a special event for my niece & her fiancé. The stars are soley for ambience & the wonderful men singing. We will be skipping this winery on our next tasting trip. read more

So, earlier in the year, we bought a Priority Wine Pass on Groupon for a Napa trip - which already more than paid for itself in that one weekend, but we had it for a whole year, so when we were driving to the bay area and back for Christmas, it just made sense to stop at as many wineries along the path that participated in that program as we could. As you can see, I'm still catching up from the number of wineries we stopped at for that reason! If you do much wine tasting, and they're still running that groupon, it's kind of a no-brainer - we were comped a tasting with the wine pass, so if you do have one and they're still participating, there's no reason *not* to stop here. If you don't have one, it's $15 to pick any 5 wines on their list - I'd probably have given this tasting room 3 stars if I'd paid $15 for the tasting. (Though, to be fair, it is waived with a purchase.) Granted, it was a couple months ago, so it is entirely possible that my complaints were all freak coincidence and we just got unlucky, but first off, when we were there, they only had one employee doing everything (answering the phone, pouring wine for us and a couple other people at the bar-seating area, and taking care of one quite large group at a table, that *must* have had to call ahead, so they should have known the group would be there?) So it was a bit slow. She was friendly enough - just overworked! They also had a pretty long list of wines supposedly available for tasting, but when we were there, several I had wanted to try were sold out (including a 15 year old port I would have particularly wanted to try - they did have a less-aged port I did get to try, which was decent but not great, certainly one of the less exciting ports I tried that trip.) I also tried a Riesling that was just decent, a zin that was pretty good, a gsm that was pretty good, and a cab/cab franc/merlot red blend that was... pretty good. For the price of "free", I wasn't complaining, of course, but I wasn't excited enough about any of the wines I tasted to have wanted to buy anything. So I probably wouldn't stop here again if I didn't have a wine pass, but I would totally stop here again if I were passing by and I *did* have a wine pass. read more

I love Pessagno! My wife and I stopped through on a weekday for our anniversary and Suzie took excellent care of us. Carli set up the reservation and had us taken care of beautifully. The view and the ambiance is incredible. Now for the wine - *Top Shelf*.... Does Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot is not to be missed. My wife loved the Quattro red blend. We have been several times before and will be back again. read more

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Stopped in here on Saturday first time ever w/ some coworker buddies. We were on a wine tasting mission in Selina's so we figured we'd start here since it was slightly closer and I think we made a great choice! Arrived around 12pm so we get to drinking ASAP. Oh yeah u have to start ASAP because the wineries close at 5pm so inhale as much wine as u can in order to make your trek worth it. Great think about this place is they have a wood burning oven they make their own fresh pizza! Score cause it's never good to drink on an empty stomach. We started out tasting and went with the Chardonnay (8/10) - Rosé (9/10) - Grenache (10/10) - GSM (10/10 and Cuatro (17/10 haha). I tend to like a nice bolder wine and full bodied and highly recommend the Cuatro left with a couple bottle of it ate some really great Za! Plus if U follow them on Insta you get 10% off ur purchase so another score. Shall we return? Yeah totally awesome spot and great way to start your Selinas drinking venture! Highly recommend and pretty sure you'll enjoy. Bonus Tip: if you do visit this place ask for Berry (sometimes goes by Steve, I know weird right) but he's a hella decent tender, has great stories and doesn't bullshit with the pours haha. Either way enjoy! read more

Pessagno Winery - Yum! - Wineries Near Me - Salinas, California

Pessagano is another very fun winery to visit in the Carmel Valley. It was the last place we stopped but we liked what we had. Their Rose is a very welcome, pleasantly weird combination of fruit and peppers. You should buy some. The Pedregal pinot is light and easy drinking, while the Due red cab Sauvignon cab franc is mild but pleasantly chewy. Central Ave Pinor Noir is juicy and pleasant, but not particulary Burgundian. The zinfandel is fine but not memorable, while the Tre Blend has a spicier palate than the Due The Quattro blend has chocolate notes and is definitely richer than the first 2. I'd go with that Quattro but that is my style - whatever you prefer, you'll find something here you like. Everyone here is very friendly, and they have food to pair with the wine, so as you drive down the wine road, stop in and you'll undoubtedly find something you like. read more

Disclosure: I did not taste any of the wines during this trip, review is based on service, decor, and grounds. Tasting room has a long bar with plenty of room. Tasting fee is $15 for an option of 5 tasters out of the menu; fee is waived with $20 purchase. Winery hours various depending on season; call ahead to double check. During the winter, they open at noon instead of 11 a.m...luckily, we doubled back and got a chance to check them out. The female that poured for us was friendly and gave us a couple of suggestions on what to try on their menu. The only thing that I disliked about my experience was her perfume. I have a sensitive nose and when I was smelling the wines, her perfume was a bit overwhelming. Sorry lady! Wine Tasting 101: don't wear perfume. The folks that tasted their wines on our trip really enjoyed Pessagno wines and bought a couple of bottles. They have a small courtyard next to the tasting room with some picnic tables, very casual. Pessagno Winery is a part of Santa Lucia Highlands AVA aka SLH. They are known for their Pinor Noir and Chardonnay in this region, so definitely give it a taste in this area. Their most popular and prestigious wine is the 'Four Boys' Pinot Noir. Unfortunately, they do not have any tasting option for this bottle (limited). I got a couple of 'Four Boys', so I'll report back and see how it goes. Looking forward of returning to Passagno when I can taste wine once again! PS. the bold reds were also popular among our taster, the Quattro was a hit! read more

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This winery showcases some of the best wines of the Santa Lucia Highlands. If you love pinot noir, then this is a stop for you. They have several pinots from the local region and one for the San Benito appellation that has a character similar to a Italian dolchetto. I'm a big fan of the Four Boys SLH Pinot Noir and the Chardonnay is equally well balanced (I recommend the Intrinity). The staff is knowledgeable and friendly and even recommended a few good dining places in Monterey for my out of town guests. read more

Pessagno Winery - Wineries Near Me - Salinas, California

Cute place that we stopped by after hiking Pinnacles. Wine was average (I live in Sonoma County and perhaps that affects my standards). Nice ambience. It was quiet on the day we went- we were the only people there. It was a Monday. The Rose was our favorite. they also have a great red blend combining 3 reds. Service was fantastic. great place- they have bocce ball, a pretty water fountain, lots of seats with great views. We weren't there on correct day but seems like sometimes they have live music. read more

This was the beta winery experience I've ever had and exactly what I envisioned when planning a vineyard vine tasting! The backdrop between the mountains, vineyards and farmland was picturesque. We got to taste five generous servings of wine from a wide selection with a delicious meat and cheese board. read more

My wife and I visited Pessangno winery last weekend. We have been to the winery several times. This last visit was fantastic. There was a girl working the tasting room I believe her name was Jamie. The place was packed, live music, people inside and outside. This gal never stopped moving, and always with a smile on her face. I just wanted someone like her to be recognized, I own a restaurant, and I would love to have employees like her. On top of the wine being wonderful, our service was fantastic. Good Employees should be recognized. We will definitely be back for a lot more visits. read more

My husband and I came to taste wine today. We were very much looking forward to the experience. After sitting at the bar for over 10 min without receiving even one sample we watched the tender talk to the gentleman down at the other end about absolutely nothing, he never got us our water or even one sample. When we got up to leave he said " oh I guess your leaving?" We had explained to him he greeted us, and asked if we wanted water and a sample of wine and never returned only to watch him wipe down glasses and talk to other people at the end of the bar, he was to busy to help us. My husband and I are happy to go down the road and give business somewhere else. Poor example of how a business should be ran. Keep going down the road to the next vineyards!!! read more

Nice place to enjoy some wine even though they did not have any bubbly wine their rest of the wine was good.

Good Afternoon, I was a personal friend of Steven Pessagno while he was attending college and starting his winery. I was also his sons college counselor and would like to reach one the boys. Please ask them to contact me. Dr. Patricia Moore 831-685-8100 Steve Pessagno was genius in his field of study. read more

They appear to be changing hands and they're not interested in setting the world on fire. The tasting room had a bar with chairs and nothing else. No gifts, nothing else to look at but a bar and a man behind it who didn't appear to care if you stuck around or didn't. We didn't!!! read more

Pessagno Winery - After Thanksgiving wine tasting! - Wineries Near Me - Salinas, California

Great winery! The wine is great, the dogs roaming around give it a homey feel and the service was amazing! I would definitely come here again. I recommend purchasing some of their glasses; we got some awhile ago and love them! I haven't made it back out to this winery again but will definitely try to as soon as possible. I really enjoyed it! I would probably enjoy it more if this place was closer to the Carmel Valley but it seems the area around here is becoming much bigger in the area of winemaking! read more

First time at this winery. I love the customer service levels I generally I get from the salinas valley wineries. No need to go out of the county! I think it is important to support local business; however., This place is not at par to the rest of the wineries in the area. Though the wines are OK, They are far from great. In fact,Wrath Winery, which I tried for the first time as well was MUCH above average in taste and friendliness. A pegssagno, the gentleman who appear to be the owner or manager was not costumer centric focus which reflects on the staff attitude...so unfortunate I just hope visitors don't walk away with a bad impression based on this place. Other wineries on River Road are much more recommendable. read more

I came with a friend and we enjoyed the different pours and sitting by the pond. The folks are friendly and it's a roomy area to picnic or explore wines in or outside. Thanks! read more

And the Oscar for friendliest and outstanding winery goes to Passagno Wines. Walt Disney once said that "you can dream and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it takes people to make that dream come true." And that is one of the traits that set this winery above the rest. Yes the wine is fabulous but what ads to the total bouquet of the wine is the dedicated folks that put such passion in their wines. If you're a wine lover, then this is a "must stop" for you. read more

First time visiting this place on Saturday. The experience was awful. Tables were dusty and not cleaned at all while we were there. Service was awful. I would not go back. Place looks very unattended and definitely needs a redo. read more

3.5 stars I've had countless glasses of Pessagno Pinot but today was my first visit to the tasting room... during business hours that is... my last 2 visits were unsucessful as they were closed. The wine tasting room was quite chilly as was the atmosphere (and our welcome). The tasting menus range from $5 to $15. They are known for their Pinots and although I often have a glass or two when I'm out and about in Monterey, I'm not a huge fan of Pinot so we opted out for the Pinot Only tasting which was $10. We chose the $5 general tasting menu as well as the $15 Reserve Menu. We were the only ones in the tasting room but it was a Tuesday afternoon and we were just glad they were open. We had stopped by Wrath by San Saba but they are only open during the weekend or Thursday thru Monday... understandable. I picked up a 2004 Ouro - Perelli in honor of our cat (don't like that word, because I would hate to be known as a "cat lady"), I mean kitten Pirelli. My friend Megan picked up a bottle of Pinot or was it Syrah?!?! Luckily, our tasting fees were comped as we spent more than $60 combined even though their policy requires buying a bottle of wine from the list you tasted to waive a fee. If there are 2 people tasting 2 menus... min. 2 bottle purchase. Interesting. I did enjoy the Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc... a lot. I had been craving something sweet. I think I tweaked my tastebuds by O.D.ing on Vitamin C Wafter - the large Acerola flavored one that remind me of my childhood and everything I tasted today was very tart, some too mineraly and just plain sour. I really don't think it was the wines as this applied to the wines from the other winery down the street. I tried their Reisling but it was definately made to be Dry in style. I wish they sold snacks here, maybe some cheese & salami since the grounds are pretty and kept well. There are some picnic tables outside too which I wish we could have taken advantage of. read more

Book a tour! Barrel tastings with Chris. Behind the scenes lessons on bottling, labeling and corking while you're gettin all boozed up... Calling to book with Pessagno was super smooth and the tour itself was incredibly cheap! $10/person! The tour ran about 90 minutes, which included a wine tasting. The property was not big, but the personality of our tour guide Chris was huge; what a nice, generous fella! Huge tasting room- with records playing for background music. How original! Loved it. We were told we can even bring your own '45; if the staff approves, they will play it. They also had cheese platters available with Brie, Manchego, other varieties, nuts and dried fruits. Great Pinot Noirs, Ports and Port Varieties (some could not officially be called Port because the vines used were not from Portugal.) This vineyard's production is low, but quality is significantly high, especially for the price point. We were offered generous pours per each tasting and had more than a few favorites: +2011 Four Boys Pinot Noir. Impressive! +2012 Four Boys Pinot Noir is going to be divine! (we had a sample of this from the barrel..) My name is on the email list for it's release, which may be later this year or the beginning of 2014... +2005 Perelli 101 was one of my favorite "Port variations." This winery uses many different combinations of their own, as well as other grapes from vineyards in the area to make their wine. We sampled many different styles of Pinot and Port, a majority of them being completely take-home worthy. The wallet not having an endless supply of cash, was a determining factor as to why we didn't come home with more than a few cases of Pessagno wine. Pessagno's humble, friendly staff and quality of wine, made this trip well worthy of five stars! Definitely will be back around for more one of these days.. :-D read more

Stopped here on the way back from SLO and had a tasting. It's off the beaten path, which is our fave types of wineries. The winetender was pretty cool, but hella persnickety about the proper pronunciation of Lucia. I was saying 'Loo-Chee-Uh' and she would quickly snap back NO, it's 'LOO-SEE-UH;. Ohh..OK *rolls eyes*.. not gonna remember..don't care! Considering I keep calling their winery Pechanga, I'm not concerned with being right all the time. They had a great selection of wines and I recall enjoying their 2013 Chard. We still have a late harvest muscat to tend to as well. read more

I learned of Pessagno when I was at dinner the night before. I really liked the pinot noir I ordered and when I learned there was a winery in the area, with a tasting room, we were in! We arrived after driving through a not so pretty wine country, where there was just one other couple at the bar. We were served by a lady (can't remember her name), but it was her first day on the job. Tastings are $15 or waived if you purchase a bottle. They have a pretty big selection to taste from, reislings, to red blends, to cabs, as well as some private reserve wines. I started with Riesling which I thought was ok, as I though the pinot noir rose was. My bf and I were switching tastings so I really got to taste about 10. One of my pours was very heavy handed (I think the 4 Boys), but they were all pretty good. We ended up joining the wine club to get discounts as we really liked the Pinots and Merlots. There is no merch for sale, as mentioned, which I think is a drawback. So, it was cute and we learned a bit about the wine area, but probably not a re-visit for me. read more

Hands-down some of the best wine I have ever tasted. The Four Boys Pinot Noir is exceptional. I wish I was able to more eloquently describe how fantastic the wines are at Pessagno. I love reds and they excel in this area. Their port and orange muscat are perfect endings to special meals at my house. Service is friendly and you can tell that the staff are genuinely passionate about what they do. I am crossing my fingers that some day I will be able to find Pessagno wines at stores in the D.C. area. read more

This was stop number two on our brief tour of the wineries in the Monterey area. The tasting room itself is expansive, and there are chairs to sit in at the bar! (that's one thing you rarely see in a tasting room.) The wine list is large and diverse, and you can choose from three different tasting menus. Tasting fees range from $5 to $15. Fortunately, since I'm ITB, this fee was waived for our group. The staff was really fun, and both people who poured for us were knowledgeable. Since I'm partial to Burgundian wines, I focused on the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for my tasting. The 07 Sleepy Hollow Chard was quite nice, with balanced fruit and acidity. Though it spent time in new French oak, that component was not over-powering. The 07 SLH PN was delicious as well, with an old-world style and profile. I ended up buying a bottle of each. Also, they have a fantastic Zinfandel, which was priced right around $22 - definitely something to pick up if you're there. Great place to taste, and we'll stop back here the next time we taste in the region. read more

We had a great time taking the behind the scenes tour with Chris at this winery. Yelp helped us identify this "unlisted" tour. Very cool to tour the barrel and bottling facility and to cork our own bottle! This winery is sophisticated but unpretentious - and very friendly. We walked away with two bottle purchases - buy there was no hard sell, just good conversation and good vibes all around. Worth the visit - plan on hanging out a while, it's a fun place to be. read more

Pessagno Winery - Fun day - Wineries Near Me - Salinas, California

After living in the area for a few months, this winery has been recommended to me by at least two people. I have a good friend that is a member at this winery and was so excited to come here, taste the wines and experience the glory of the River rd. I have had a positive experience on this road for the last few months and was so excited to take my boyfriend. When we arrived, the bar was full and we stood for a bit before being greeted pleasantly by Tim. Tim welcomed us and directed us to some tables since the bar was full and said he'd be over shortly to help us. Both Tim and the other woman (short, blonde, straight hair) came out to our table at the same time with menus and Tim had glasses ready to go. The woman spoke with us about membership immediately and we began to taste. Once a seat was freed up at the bar, we sat at the end and was taken through our flights of tasting. Tim checked on us frequently and made us feel like we were welcomed and could stay and taste. He was friendly, gave us pointers about the wine, and was less focused on what number taste we were on. It was clear Tim's goal was to make his tasters happy. In my experience, this is the value in wine tasting. You take your time and the staff are there to supplement your experience, rather than rush you or make you feel like you're their next sale. Unfortunately, this was my experience with the woman tasting attendant. We were joined by my friend who is a member. Once she joined us, we decided to continue tasting wine with her. When we asked to continue with another glass, this woman questioned us. She told us she wasn't sure if she could serve us because we were driving (which was an assumption-and she can make that but it wasn't clearly stated). She begrudgingly served us more wine, although we were well under any legal limits. It was insulting that she would assume we had been drinking too much or imposing a rule of the winery on us, without directly stating so. It made us feel uncomfortable and ruined our experience with our member friend. This in no way has a reflection on the quality of the wine. Clearly though, our experience with her tainted the evening and made our interaction with Tim less valuable and it was clear she stated to him to either not serve us or serve us less. Now, the wine was great. In fact, we bought a case. And we are happy with our purchase. The top wines to taste are: Four Boys Pinot Noir Central Ave Pinot Noir-best bang for your buck Quattro red blend-full bodied and SO drinkable Port-rare for the area and it was less like a tawny and more like a traditional port. Straightforward and sweet, very drinkable. There are so many reasons I really want to like this tasting room. Tim was fantastic. The wines are good. The area is low key and beautiful. But we left with a bad taste in our mouth. And I wish it weren't the case. read more

The wine is good, but the staff could do a lot better in customer services. Bought several bottles and one very expensive special one for a special occasion. When the date was there, the wine had gone bad.... Contacted Pessagno about it, never got a reply, even after 3 attempts. Selling a bottle is one, keeping your customers happy is another thing. read more

We love Pessagno! By far some of the best Monterey County Pinots I've ever tasted! Robin is the manager of the tasting room and always sees that we have a great time. The wine club is a great way to try new vintages (and old) and we go out to the winery every chance we get. The Intrinity Chardonnay is sublime, and the Santa Lucia Highlands Chard is also excellent. It's worth the time to drive out there, enjoy the scenery, the great wine and good company. read more

We were wine tasting on River Road and happened upon this place. I love their reds and my wife adores their chards. The staff has always been friendly with good healthy pours. The tasting room is cozy and on occasion they may do dinners etc. We loved their wine we joined their club. We only belong to two and this is one of them. These are great local wines. read more

Rebecca, Cindy, Kimberly and everyone else there are always welcoming. I appreciate their knowledge and wanting to learn about us the customers. The service is always great. The wine is great too. (I love the SLH Chard and the Quattro Red Wine is yummy). It is always a stop when my friends and I go out for a River Road visit. read more

Wish there was a 10 stars option! Love this place. Great wine, great staff and great location. Also have partnered with a local restaurant, Luigis, to have food delivered to the winery while you taste or drink a bottle outside. Greatness in every sip, highly recommend. read more

Pessagno Winery - Wineries Near Me - Salinas, California

Salutations to Amy #2-we were alternately warmly greeted and served by 4 different people at Pessagno. Our favorites were their 2009 reisling and their Ouro dessert wine. Were fortunate to be there for their Saturday barbeque- home made South county wild boar sausage. I won't go into details but the meat was apparantly foraged on someone's private property. I am intrigued by their upcoming paella feast on August 27 - Cal Stamenov and other chefs presiding over the 4.5 foot pan. read more

Good wines. However very expensive. Also, they charge a tasting fee that they won't waive if you buy anything. Come on. Also, I hate when we are the only people in a tasting room and this has happened every time we have been here. read more

Love the ambiance. The record player playing Van Halen was epic and Josh was very knowledgeable about the wine and a lot of fun. The wine is also good, this place is a home run! read more