Excellent wines, low prices, no-nonsense
Looking for “A wine club with “NO commitments, NO fees, NO cards on file, NO limited selections!”? Or how about a winery dedicated to offering you the “Best bang for your buck”? Well, I happened upon a winery that meets both of these requirements. My introduction to the winery was through its press release challenging other wineries to match its record of having every wine produced rated 90 points or higher.
Challenging other wineries was a clever and unprecedented way to get attention, and it obviously worked for me. But the emphasis on a wine club open to anyone and wines pitched for value was also attention-getting. Here was one winery flying way under the radar, my kind of winery.
But a wine club anyone can join is really not a club, is it? Could this be some kind of come on trying to unload mediocre wine, or the real deal?
Peirano Estate Vineyards is the winery and, as I learned through conversations and tastings, is the real deal. It also does things differently, goes against the grain and does so without swagger. Better yet, it tries to make the wine experience uncomplicated yet fun. A small winery with no hype about icons, no rockstar winemakers, no strict allocations and waiting lists, and no luxury priced wines?
Located in Lodi, Peirano Estate is family owned and it may be one of the oldest with vineyards established in 1885. The family’s history takes you through the ups and downs of farmers before, during and after Prohibition. Check it out at: www.peirano.com
The family farm now covers 300 acres and is in the hands of the fourth generation, Lance Randolph. He’s the guy behind the tractor, behind the wines and behind this novel wine club.
A Vineyard Guy
Lance Randolph is said to have been driving tractors up and down the vineyard at the age of six. In 1992, he ventured into winemaking, a transition made easy by being very familiar with the family vineyards. Today the Peirano vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Viognier, and Petite Sirah. It also “has perhaps the largest single block of old, head-trained, natural rooted Zinfandel left in the state of California.” Lance adds, “Rather than destroy these beautiful old Lodi Zinfandel vines to make way for larger yielding, more economically advantageous vines, we have decided to harvest the meager 2 tons per acre production.”
With his viticultural background, that was not an impulsive decision. Lance has explored various training and harvesting methods and the winery’s website explains his vineyard management trials and applications in great detail. For example: “In the 1990s, Lance was one of the first to implement the Geneva Double Curtain system. This system, rather than using one cordon wire connecting the vines through the center, as done with the bilateral cordon system of the 1960s, splits the vine into two and uses two cordon wires spaced three feet apart. This method is highly advantageous for the estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes.” Some of the Cabernet Sauvignon is 50 years old, but the Merlot acreage is newer, planted to six clones.
Anyway, after reading the very detailed background, the one point that sticks out to me is that having gone through numerous possibilities of vineyard management, he now prefers to hand harvest all varieties. That is unusual in Lodi or anywhere today.
An Uncomplicated Business Plan
To continue the theme of going against the grain or the norm, when it comes to selling Peirano wines, the winery favors one price fits all. Whether they be white or red, varietals or blends, barrel aged or not, all 15 wines are priced at $16 a bottle. Not only is that unusual, but the winery offers a mix and match case deal at 50% off, or $8 bucks a bottle. Shipping is a flat rate of $48. So add $4 and the bottle price is still a reasonable $12.
Why $16?
“We chose $16 per bottle because it reflects our goal of offering exceptional quality at an accessible price. Every bottle of our wine comes from estate-grown fruit—grapes we’ve farmed on our family’s Lodi vineyards for generations. The $16 price point allows us to maintain our hands-on approach in the vineyard and winery, using traditional techniques and sustainable practices, while still keeping our wines affordable enough for everyday enjoyment. It’s a balance between honoring the craftsmanship and heritage behind each bottle and ensuring our wines remain approachable to a wide range of wine lovers.”
So no surprise, the wine club is open to anyone, but how did this come about? Lance explains:
“I started the mix & match case offer over a decade ago when I realized that all tasting rooms were using a subscription model/wine club scenario. Call me old fashioned but I hate being forced to leave my credit card on file and be told what wine I had to try because the winery was trying to “unload” it on me! So I struggled for a long time to find a unique solution that eliminates all the wine club demands. It all came to our customer needs – they want to pick and choose what they want and get those “great” wine club discounts without all of the wine club requirements. Thus – our “family plan” was born and we actively say ‘ditch the wine club experience and try our novel approach to experiencing wine!’
Welcome to the “No Wine Club Zone”
Many people enter the”Zone” through the tasting room in Lodi. Visitors can select wines from all 15 or 16 wines available at the time. To sample five, the fee is…$10.
Most Peirano wines offered today are reds, either blends or varietals. Among the whites, the blended “Sea Enchantress” reviewed earlier is my favorite. The Chardonnay will appeal to those preferring the ripe apple and buttery style a la Rombauer.
The red wines range in style from simple and approachable to big, bold and cellar-worthy. The Six Clone Merlot stood out as the best red for everyday enjoyment, and the Malbec is also noteworthy in a drink-now style. With the currently available blends, you sense that the winemaker is using a splash of old vine Zin or old vine Cabernet as his not too secret sauces.
The first wine I tasted that contained some old vine Zin was the Red “Sea Enchantress.” Here’s my note:
Peirano Estate Vineyards, “The Sea Enchantress” Red Lodi (California) The Artist Series 2020 $16
So in this wine they combine Petite Sirah, Old Vine Zinfandel, Tempranillo and Syrah. Then it was aged in a combination of French and American oak, 15% new. The result? Well, it is not an in your face, power-packed fruit bomb. Dark in color, it has a beautiful aroma of black olive, licorice, with some blackberry and light oak toast. The ripe flavors offer lots of plum and light cinnamon supported by gentle tannins. Made in a big and approachable style, this is an absolute steal at this price. 92
After that initial encounter, little encouragement was needed for me to explore more Peirano wines. Of the several red blends reviewed here, the differences between one and another were not dramatic. But they are different, and fun to taste.
The family apparently has some fun with naming their wines. There’s “Immortal Zin” and “The Other,” along with “Sea Enchantress” and “Illusion,” both labels based on paintings by Alexis Randolph, representing the fifth generation. The 3 components for “The Other” Red are listed as”This,That, and The Other.” The back label adds the wine is “Sin-sually delicious.”
The following notes highlight two of my favs. But for reviews on many others:, go to winereviewonline.com
Peirano Estate Vineyards Lodi (California) Old Vine ”Immortal Zin” 2022 $16
Hand harvested from 120 year old, head prune vines, this is an amazing wine to taste. The deep, dark color and concentrated flavors are expected, but the pleasure here is in the ultra-smooth, velvety texture. Blackberry and strawberry are the central themes, but there’s a floral element that elevates the aroma. Some spice and juicy ripe fruit flavors along with an earthy background continue well into the juicy finish. There’s so much going on you aren’t aware that the wine is 15.5% in alcohol. 93
Peirano Estate Vineyards The Heritage Collection, Lodi (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 $16
From 50 year old vines, this wine was fermented by 3 methods: static, cold soak and rotary fermentation. It was also given extended maceration time and oak aged for one year. It opens gradually to reveal an aroma of ripe plum and graphite along with a slight floral and spice touch. Medium full bodied with concentrated black fruit flavors, it comes across the palate as soft and smooth. With integrated tannins, this is one to enjoy over the next few years.The style is big and juicy with good Cabernet aromatics and flavors presented on a solid framework. 92
Norm Roby's Unfiltered Guide to Savvy Wine Shopping 