Pirtle Winery: Why go farther?

When we settled into the leafy confines of Pirtle Winery in Weston, we realized that this was the place we wanted to enjoy, and no other stop would likely be better.

So we tossed the rest of our itinerary and chilled.

I learned about the winery long ago as a maker of mead, but it now has an ambitious menu of grape wine and fruit wine as well as mead. 

 

Like Terre Beau, Pirtle is housed in a former church. It was a Lutheran Evangelical Church, built in 1867. The tasting room has stained glass windows with floral designs.
 
This was also the only place I know that specializes in St. Vincent. Pirtle has three versions:

• Alhambra: This one is a magnificent St. Vincent, getting more out of the grape than I've ever tasted. It's a rich, dry wine that tames the tangy aspect of the grape.
• Weston Bend Red: A light-bodied wine that somehow also had big mouth feel.
• Weston Bend Rosé: A luscious rosé.

Other notes:

Norton: Big with a little French oak.

Vignoles: Dry with powerful citrus and fruit. 

Apple wine: Semi-sweet with a citrus effect that reminded me of Sauvignon Blanc.

Honey mead: Like honey on toast.

We found a table under a long, cool canopy that used fabric to block the sun and greenery to complete the enclosure. We had a lunch of assorted nibbles and a bottle of Weston Bend Rose´.

And then we set off for home.