Wine column: Two for the road
Kyle Jury, his wife, Brittany, and their children.
– When you’re within a three-hour drive of Paso Robles and have some free days, there’s nothing better than hitting the road, especially when there are new wineries and winemakers to visit! On our most recent two-day jaunt, we hit a jackpot, so put these two on your Paso Robles winery tasting destination bucket list:
Truss Wines, the new venture of Kyle Jury and his wife, Brittany, is open for tasting, with exciting events in the near future.
Kyle, who had worked as the winemaker at Booker Vineyards for nine years, always dreamed of owning his own estate winery. When the Terry Hoage estate became available, he made that dream come true for himself and his wife by purchasing the property in mid-2024, with the support of two local partners, to be a part of that dream.
Organic sustainable lawn mowers at Truss.
A selection of pinot noir and chardonnay (grapes sourced from the SLO Coast) is currently being poured, but that’s not all!
Truss is now bottling its initial 2024 Estate vintage, which includes syrah, grenache, and a GSM. I had the pleasure of tasting them from the barrel a few days before bottling, so start planning your visit to Truss to experience this new winery firsthand. In addition to the first three estate releases, Kyle will also be bottling a special blend called “Beyond Reason,” which will be (vintage dependent) a winemaker’s select.
The tasting room is being renovated and will be ready for the April release of the Truss Estate wines. However, if you’d like to get in on the ground floor, meet Kyle, his wife, and the new wines; visit the website; sign up for the wine club; and plan to attend the inaugural Wine Club Dinner on March 28th.
Welcome, Kyle and family, and Truss Wines. Note: The Jury is IN on Kyle Jury’s Truss wines.
870 Arbor Road
Paso Robles
Website: WWW.TRUSSWINES.COM
Chris Haisma of Nix Cellars.
Nix Cellars opened its Tin City tasting room towards the end of 2024. Proprietor/winemaker Chris Haisma and his wife, Nicole, who also own In Bloom restaurant at the Paso Market Walk, are now also wine producers!
As often happens, Chris caught “the wine bug,” and without any prior winemaking experience, he dove headfirst into that slippery slope-the result being Nix Cellars, which had its first release toward the end of 2022.
Having spent over twenty years in the restaurant industry, Chris was always intrigued by wine. As time went on, tasting more and more wines, he sharpened his palate. When Chris decided to start making wine, he was fortunate to have Don Burns (of Turtle Rock) as a mentor and to also make his wines at Don’s facility. Then it happened—Chris added the title “winemaker” to his list of roles, alongside “restaurateur.”
Nix currently offers seven wines: three whites made by Anthony Yount, including a grenache blanc, sauvignon blanc, and chenin blanc; and three reds, consisting of an estate Bordeaux red blend, Tempesta (a blend of cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and petite verdot), along with their 100% cabernet sauvignon, Hush. These are crafted by Chris, who also makes his rosé of grenache. Years in the restaurant business, constantly tasting wine, gave Chris a clear understanding of what he wanted to produce, and for someone new, he does it well.
Only in their second release, Nix has already received ratings of 92-96 points from wine critics such as James Suckling, Jeb Dunnuck, and Vinous.
There is a cozy, intimate tasting room with a relaxed living room vibe, featuring a turntable for music to accompany your wine tasting, or a welcoming patio, perfect for a Paso Robles spring or early summer tasting. This is a new spot you won’t want to miss.
Please check the website for information and to book your tasting.
3075 Blue Rock Road
Paso Robles (Tin City)
And, for a tasty dining experience, visit In Bloom:
1845 Spring Street (in the Paso Market Walk).
Don Sonderling is a freelance writer who covers California’s unique lifestyle of wine, food, and adventures from Ventura County to Napa Valley and beyond. He can be reached at: donsonderling@gmail.com.
