Winemaker
Sacha Pelossi
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Pazzallo, Switzerland
i. Biography
From garage wines in his parents’ house in Pazzallo to the leadership of Cantina Pelossi SA, Sacha Pelossi’s path has moved by years, bottles and Merlot. He founded the winery in 1987, trained at Changins-Nyon in 1993, and reached a defining production milestone in 1995 with 500 bottles of Merlot.
Beginnings
The starting point was close to home: Pelossi laid the foundation for his own winery with so-called garage wines. In 1995, Cantina Pelossi was founded by Sacha Pelossi, starting with garage wines in his parents’ house in Pazzallo, Switzerland. His own summary of the path is direct: "My name is Sacha Pelossi and we are in the San Matteo winery in Cazzallo. I started with viticulture and then moved on to wine production." Training entered the story at Changins-Nyon in 1993. That date sits between the founding act of 1987 and the first production run of 1995, when 500 bottles of Merlot marked the move from idea and practice into wine in bottle.
The Rise
Merlot became the main wine produced by the winery. The range includes Expressive Ticino Merlot, from bright stainless-steel reds to barrique-aged riserve, a spectrum that keeps one grape at the center while allowing different textures and registers. The house approach emphasizes environmentally friendly viticultural practices and wines that reflect the terroir of Ticino. It also follows a traditional approach that respects the terroir, tying the work to the Lugano region rather than to passing style. Descriptions of Pelossi’s wines point to a firm personality: deep in character, extremely authentic, emotion-oriented, non-fashion-driven, instinctive and bound to tradition. Those words matter because they frame the bottles not as seasonal gestures, but as wines made around place, feeling and continuity.
Today
Today, Pelossi leads Cantina Pelossi and works as winemaker at Cantina Pelossi SA in Pazzallo, Switzerland. The current role connects the early garage-wine foundation, the Merlot production that began in 1995, and the continuing focus on Ticino terroir. A recent signature work gives the style a concrete form: Ticino, Sacha & Giorgio, Merlot, Our Winemaker Selection – Azienda Mondò, Cantina Pelossi 2023. The wine is 100% Merlot and is described as elegant, structured, rich and well-balanced, with black-fruit aromas, chocolate, sweet spices, soft tannins and a harmonious finish. That bottle carries the through-line of the career: Merlot first, Ticino always, tradition without fashion-chasing. From the parents’ house in Pazzallo to a winery identified with expressive local Merlot, the arc is built on one place and one grape, refined over time rather than replaced.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Sacha
Where else has Sacha Pelossi worked?
His career history centers on Cantina Pelossi SA in Pazzallo, Switzerland.
Where did Sacha Pelossi begin their career?
He began with viticulture and laid the foundation for his own winery with garage wines in his parents’ house in Pazzallo.
What roles has Sacha Pelossi held?
He founded the winery in 1987 and has held the roles of winemaker and leader of Cantina Pelossi.
