Zin Alley Winery

Zin Alley is still the best Zinfandel for a thousand miles. Frank knows more about Zinfandel, how to grow it, how to tend the vines, and any other aspect of wine you can think of. As a Zinfandel wine encyclopedia he is world class. Get this man talking about the vines and the wine and it is mesmerizing and oh so charming. When friends come to town Zin Alley is a MUST. and time with Frank is the best. If you love big Zin, This is the place. For many this is the pinnacle of the tasting experience in Paso Robles.

At Zin alley, what you see is what you get. We walked in and the winemaker greeted and poured for us. He wasn’t rude, but he wasn’t overly excited about us either. And that was ok. It was actually refreshing.
This guy poured us 3 Zins and a dessert wine. He was blunt, and answered every question we had. I really enjoyed it. No bells, no whistles, just wine and a hardened soul. My wife and I bought a bottle of 2012 Zinfandel, and enjoyed the change up in tasting style.

First, the wine is great. I have tasted a boat load of Zinfandel in my time and this among the best ever. The port is great too.
Now for Frank, as the Californians have mentioned, they think he is unique. However, as a Texan I can tell you that you can find a «Frank type» that owns almost any gun shop in Texas. Go in and meet him, he won’t bite you. I think.

Great place! We arrived at opening time and they weren’t quite open yet. I called and the owner was very kind and came right out and met us in the tasting room. He was quite entertaining and informational. We are enthusiasts of ports and some dessert wines, so that’s what we tasted. We loved the 2011 Zin Port and bought a bottle, may end up ordering a case after we live with this bottle for a few days at home. We really enjoyed our visit to Zin Alley and will return.

My sister and I enjoyed the gruff and trash-​talking Frank, the Reverend Zinfandel of Paso Robles and maybe the universe. Frank’s Zins are predictably good and the mean dog attitude was icing on the cake-​a winemaker with personality ++!
If you love Zin, you MUST come here. If you think Frank is «mean» then maybe you don’t know Zin. Once you demonstrate your worthiness in things general as well as things Zin, then the Reverend may admit you through his golden gates.
Well worth the trip, the highlight of our Paso wine tasting!
Sis and I love the Reverend and his garden of Zin!

When I fist drove up the driveway I thought I took a wrong turn and was at a private residence. Alas, there is a tasting room kind of behind the house. So… If you haven’t figured it out by the name, they pretty much do one thing here… Zinfandel.
The tasting consisted of a vertical of two Zinfandels (when I visited it was the 2010 and 2011) along with a Zinfandel port. Those are the only two wines made under the Zin Alley brand, at least that I am aware of. There were also two wines from the winemakers Nerelli brand. I was there for the Zinfandel, and it did not disappoint. The winemaker Frank was pouring for us. He was friendly and seemed to enjoy talking about his wine.
We left with two bottles of Zinfandel and one of the Zinfandel port. The couple we were tasting with bought two bottles of the Zinfandel port (they liked it that much).
If you are a Zinfandel fan, this place is worth a visit.

We happened upon this little winery atop a hill by chance. A big fan of Red Zin wines, we saw the sign and had to stop. This is not a «touristy» or large establishment. Not much parking perched on the hill. A little dog greated us and basically led us into the small tasting room.
You don’t get the warm and fuzzy feeling when greeted by the owner who is also the wine maker and grower. Kind of gruff and no nonsense. He takes some getting use to. When he sees you are truly there to taste and enjoy a good glass of wine, it gets better. Not a huge selection… there were 4 different taste when we were there. I enjoyed them all and the Zin Port was really good. At $ 47 a bottle, a bit pricy, but the $ 5 tasting fee applied. I liked the quirky signs and the yard decorations including a «bottle» tree and stepping stones with glass and concrete as well as a TeePee tent set up. The view from up there overlooks the road as well as a great view of the grapes growing all around.
We would come back to visit when in the area. We enjoyed our stop here.

we love frank and his wine! we joined his club years ago, and we are never disappointed. if you are looking for warm and fuzzy, go elsewhere. if you are looking for great wine, go there. he and his wife connie do everything, so call to make sure the tasting room is open. if it isn’t, chances are they are out tending the vines. a smart, funny, no-​nonsense man with a talent for making incredible wine. always happy to make the trek.

This guy knows what his is doing with his 3 acres of grapes out front! Delicious zins, all the same price, and a funky art garden to boot. We were the first ones there that morning, so he wasn’t quite ready for us. Yes, he is not warm and fuzzy, but we did share a couple of chuckles, and he does make some really wonderful wines. Be sure to try your port with the chocolate, he does have it on hand to enjoy. Yes, I would go back because he is making magic up there.

Enjoyed talking with Frank, the winemaker. Great zins and a blend. This is boutique wine making at its finest.

This place has some AWESOME wines. You will be very very pleased with this place. It’s not as fancy as other wineries but you will fall in love with the wine, trust me. I really hate to tell really good spots but you kinda have to with Unilocal. This guy has been in the wine business over 30 years and he has perfected his wines, with some of his unorthodox ways of wine making. That port is one of the best I’ve ever had. Go visit and let him tell you the story himself.

Expecting a better time here. Mr Zin was not very hospitable or warm and fuzzy.
He reluctantly answered questions and spoke to us.
Maybe he was having a bad day but I was not impressed. This time the Unilocal reviews led me astray.

This is a very small off the map surprise. It is worth a stop to see this one man show. He grows, makes, and sells all his wine. He is very interesting and fun to talk to. I would definitely go back here. Try the Zins and Generation 4.

Ok wine, a little pushy and too lain back

Wines are tasty but go for the people behind the counter. They are a hoot. Also met some local radio celebrities while tasting. They are great at giving recommendations on other places to try. We bought several bottles

The $ 5 tasting covered four wines under two labels, Zin Alley and Nerelli. Of the four bottles, two of the four were dessert wines. All bottles were priced at $ 45. Like many places in Templeton (and the Olympics), they don’t take American Express.
The wine itself was not particularly my style of wine. So let’s just say that the winemaker and I have incompatible palates.

tasting for 4 wines $ 5, waived if you buy a bottle. bottle prices averages around $ 45
pros:
— frank is a hoot. hes rough, honest, and is not into bullshit of any kind. but he is incredibly proud of the wine he makes, and you can taste it in the wine
— the zin was incredibly good. i also really liked the port wine (it wasnt too raisiny like most ports)
cons:
— only 4 wines and all on the expensive side, but its all quality!
would i come again? sure!

All of their wines were outstanding, but a little out of my budget.
$ 5 for a wine tasting as well, which was kind of expensive considering they only have 4 wines (Rotta winery for example $ 5 tasting and 13 wines).
We visited 7 wineries that day and Zin Alley definitely had the best wines.

Best. Zinfandel Port. Period.
I highly recommend Nerelli After Hours. Also very, very good.
This is one winery we never miss when we travel to Paso Robles. If you can’t make it Paso, you can now order their wines online. It’s expensive, bottles will run you $ 44.00, but it’s worth it. Buy and have it on a special occasion.

***My winery/​tasting room reviews are rated based upon many factors. First is QPR or quality to price ratio of the wine. In other words, is the wine priced according to how good it is. The second factor is the tasting room experience. This involves the staff, grounds and anything unique about the winery.***
Date Visited: Late 2008
Tasting room fee: $ 3, though it depends
Wine price range: $ 44
Frank Nerelli is the third generation making wine in Paso. He has found the formula for making an awesome product. That is, concentrate on your strengths and do it well. With that being said, he makes one wine and one only. Frank makes a zin, and not just any zin but one of the best in Paso. He also makes a port from the zin, which is awesome and fortified with grape spirits (the way it should be). His son is getting into the business and makes a great white dessert wine and also a Syrah/​Zin blend that is available for purchase as well.
All wines are $ 44 each, Frank says he is not good at math and just wanted to keep it simple. All wines are definitely worth the price, though I am not sure his son’s blend warrants the $ 44 price tag. We each leave with about half a case of wine, this will be enjoyed over the coming years.
As I found out, the tasting room is not closing. Frank is trying to convert to do most of his business via a club, but at this point he plans to keep the tasting room open. Be sure to call as this is a small operation and does not have a manned tasting room.
This is sure to be a different stop for wine tasting in the Paso area. Frank has some great stories and opinions, most of which if printed here would get my review flagged. I also like that he forced Willie to endorse his product (see picture). I am sure if the red headed stranger tried Frank’s zin, he could be won over.
In all, my favorite place to taste in Paso.