Now with the crazy days of holiday shopping hype coming at us from every direction, the major online wine retailers and wine merchants are also doing their best to get our attention.
Although these Prime, Cyber, Black Friday and what have you holiday sales are now an annual event, lots of circumstances have changed over the last 2 years. People in general are much more focused on soaring prices of eggs and gasoline, or whatever their reference point may be.
The phrase “sticking to a budget” is now heard in so many circles.
Because wine sales have trailed off over the last 2 years or so, these holiday sales will be closely watched. As of now, wine prices haven’t spiraled because tariffs haven’t made an impact on prices.
The fact is that there is a glut or over-supply of wines and we have seen the number of wine producers entering the discount world increase as many once solid wineries feel the need to reduce prices to move inventory.
Wine is different from eggs and gas because it is a discretionary product, meaning not vital or necessary. Well, to all but a few of us. If there has been a lesson those in the wine biz should have learned over the last two years as wine sales dipped, it is that non-snobby wine lovers are really no different than other consumers and now realize a need to be extra careful about sticking to a wine budget. That often means having a target maximum price or price point when buying wine.
What’s Going on in Online Wine Sales
When previewing t several of the Black Friday deals, I can’t help but notice the many luxury or cult wines that are over $100 a bottle are now being offered at deep discounts. Online seller winespies.com offered the 2020 Caymus Special Selection at $147 ($225 regular price), vivino.com announced a culty Chardonnay for $34.99, regular price $90, while lastbottle.com featured a Pouilly-Fuise for $34, regularly $100. Another site had the 2018 Beringer Reserve Cabernet at $87.50, roughly 50% off. Earlier this week there was a “sale” of the 2022 Joseph Phelps Insignia, which retails for $350-$400 at $195 a bottle.
Don’t know about you, but to me even these discounted prices still are not budget-friendly. High ratings and non-stop hype are behind so many of these exorbitant prices. Some might argue that many wines priced in the 3 digit range are on allocation or enjoy a cult following. Then one wonders why some are offered online to begin with and often at deep discounts. We’ll probably never get a consistent explanation, but that shouldn’t stop us from shopping the sales.
Insider Tips for Savvy Wine Shoppers
One great website to find truly fine and reasonably priced wines is wtso.com What stood out to me is that its Black Friday sales on November 28-29 has an end of the year Clearance Sale. While it continues with its daily flash sale, wtso has many attractive, highly rated wines in its clearance sale. With a few bottles priced at $11.99, the list is heavy in Italian wines but also has something for every wine drinker. At $19.99 a bottle, you can buy the 2024 Calculated Risk Cabernet, the 2021 Havens Cellars Red Blend, and the 2022 Left Coast Cellars Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. An Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel topped the list of the $11.99 specials.
Wine Access is another website that has dozens of great wines for the budget minded Black Friday shopper. At wineaccess.com the sale works by knocking an extra 20% off their already discounted prices. For example the 2022 Zinfandel from Marietta Cellars is listed for $25, but with the added discount sells for $20 a bottle.THe extra discount is applied at check out.
Those wines that stood out to me before the discounts are the Three Wine Company Old Vine Field Blend ($28), Meeker 2022 Grenache ($22), 2023 Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc ($29), 2022 La Vigne Paso Robles Merlot ($21) and a San Luis Obispo Chardonnay from Oceano Vineyards( $18). Others are the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Oregon’s Solena Estate. And if you like wines from Australia, Argentina, and France, wineaccess.com has something for you at Black Friday prices.
Another site pushing its Black Friday sales also with a large inventory is wineexpress.com A few caught my attention, especially the J. Dusi Cabernet “The Don” from Paso at $22.49. J. Dusi is a favorite of mine. Also, there’s the Rutherford Ranch Chardonnay for $13.47 and a Reverdy 2021 Cotes du Rhone for $7.47.
The California Wine Club, one of the oldest, has announced its Black Friday 50% off sale. The sale will continue through Sunday. At $12.50 the 2022 Armida Zinfandel from Dry Creek and the Eden Rift Sauvignon Blanc, also at $12.50 are excellent deals. The full list is worth checking out at cawineclub.com
When the Dust Settles
These holiday sales will likely be extended way beyond the holidays, but they will end. Most of these are flash sales, daily deals or one-time only sales which not everyone is comfortable with because of the need to act quickly.
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
If you are shopping for excellent wines at reasonable prices, then forget about those made by celebrities, cult wines, and wines made by 100 point rockstar winemakers. Let them all be legends in their own minds, and seek out wines made by real people.
I recently rediscovered one of my favorite examples of a family owned winery making excellent, affordable wines. Here’s how the winemaker summarizes things:
“It feels right to make the best wine possible and to sell it at a fair price. Our instincts tell us that being honest, being consistent, working hard, and thinking outside the box is more important than anything else in business.”
The California winery is Marietta Cellars, founded in 1978 by Chris Bilbro and now in the hands of Scot, his winemaker son. While the original winery in Sonoma County was a rented cow barn, they now own 300 acres in Mendocino and Sonoma. And if you like old vine wines from Syrah and Grenache, well the Bilbros are your kind of people. They have some of the best vineyards farmed organically.
Since Day #1, Marietta Cellars produced affordable wines, starting with blended red wines based on Zinfandel. Their benchmark Old Vine Red was first made in 1982. “Affordable” and “blended” are not exactly popular search tags in today’s wine world. Then add that the production is not tiny and the wines are not allocated to a select few, and voila? Marietta wines are available direct from the winery, online, and yes, even in wine shops.
Go to www. mariettacellars.com You can also find 8 Marietta Cellars’ wines today at www.wine.com
Here are my recent reviews on two of those wines:
Marietta Cellars California OVR Old Vine Rose 2023 $19
Here’s an absolutely lovely Rose to enjoy year round. The Bilbro family has long specialized in old vine wine, and Scot Bilbro has been the winemaker since 2012. Chris Bilbro, his dad, founded Marietta back in 1978. This 2023 Rose is made from 50% Syrah, 25% Grenache, and 25% Grenache Gris, with all of the fruit from the estate’s organically grown McDowell Valley vineyards established well over 100 years ago. With its inviting coral-pink color and its lively peach and melon aroma, the wine charms you and seals the deal with its juicy peach and pomegranate flavors which come with a hint of spice. Nicely textured, it remains lively on the palate and finishes on a crisp note. 93 points
2021 Marietta Cellars “Christo,” Estate Grown, North Coast $20.00
“Christo” refers to the family nickname for Chris Bilbro, veteran Sonoma winemaker. A Rhone blend (68% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 18% Petite Sirah, & 4% Viognier), this is a powerful, full bodied red. Aged for 18 months in neutral oak, this blend offers a solid core of ripe fruit and is built on a solid foundation. The aroma is fantastic. It opens to reveal background notes of spice, ripe plums and earthy, forest floor. Some subtle floral hints of violets and lavender emerge with aeration. On the palate, black pepper pokes through in the intense, rich berry flavors. The lengthy finish has a pleasant touch of juicy blackberry fruit and light tannin. Taken altogether, this wine has it all. It is a whole lot of wine for the money and should age well. 94 points
So why isn’t Marietta Cellars better known?
Well, I’ll let the Bilbros offer a reason: “We are hands-on and busy year-round.”
On Thursday, August 22, Bill Easton with Terre RougeWines will begin a major sale:
Mediterranean Madness Sale 2024
Starts Thursday, August 22nd Online
Watch for our email Thursday morning with all the details!
So my best advice is get on the mailing list.
sales@terrerougewines.com
And here are my recent reviews to whet your appetite:
2011 Domaine de la Terre Rouge, Sierra Foothills (California) Roussanne Monarch Mine Vineyard
Following whole cluster pressing, the juice was barrel fermented and the wine aged on the lees. Beginning with its deep golden color, this wine was a unique experience. Rich and deeply concentrated with great viscosity, it delivers ripe pear flavors with some floral notes. This vintage is maturing nicely, but still has plenty of life ahead of it. As for a rating, how about rare and wonderful. 97 points Norm Roby
WINES FROM THE CELLAR2005 Domaine de la Terre Rouge, Sierra Foothills (California) Roussanne ($75): From the winery’s cellar courtesy of Bill Easton. The color here is medium yellow but with some lively green glints. You really have to suspend your instincts about an “old” looking white because this wine is still very much alive. The intense aroma is a combination of nectarine and candle wax with some citrus and green tea subtleties. Concentrated with layers and layers of flavors, the wine offers a silky smooth, creamy texture from bottle aging. It has developed nuances of pear and honey flavors and a touch of almond but it is all seamless and harmonious at this stage. Finishes long and lively. What a treat to experience how well Roussanne responds to cellaring. It held up well when tasted again a day later. Amazing wine. 98 points Norm Roby
As a longtime Sauvignon Blanc lover, I was amazed to find that some of the most exciting versions are now coming from Oregon. Yes, Oregon is a key player in the surge of Sauvignon Blanc. It may take a minute to let that sink in since Oregon is automatically associated with Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and in some minds, Chardonnay. This is not totally unprecedented because back in 1961 when Richard Sommer launched Oregon’s post-Prohibition era of winegrowing he planted Sauvignon Blanc — among other varieties at his Hillcrest Vineyard in the Umpqua Valley. But that was back then.
Patricia Green, one of the most respected winemakers, was the first in the modern era to advocate for Oregon Sauvignon Blanc. In 2000, she and her partner Jim Andersen purchased vineyards in the Willamette Valley and earned high marks for Pinot Noir. For white wines, Patricia Green believed that the climate and terroir of Oregon is well-suited. On several occasions she went on record as preferring to work with Sauvignon Blanc over Pinot Gris. Patricia, who passed away in 2017, would be happy to know that here in 2024 other multi-talented winemakers and proven wineries are out to prove her right.
King Estate’s CEO Ed King, Jr. thinks the world is ready for an Oregon-style Sauvignon Blanc. You heard that; the major producer of Pinot Gris is backing Sauvignon Blanc and now producing over 5,000 cases a year. King Estate’s Viticultural Director Ray Nuclo explains it this way:
“We see a lot of promise with this varietal due to the cooler climate in Oregon producing a unique expression of Sauvignon Blanc. It’s more akin to cool climate areas like the Loire Valley in France and parts of New Zealand, than, say, California and Burgundy.”
Then Joe Dobbs, the veteran winemaker behind Wines by Joe, Dobbes Family and now Iterum Wines does not hold back in his enthusiasm. He recently said, “I believe that Sauvignon Blanc from the Willamette Valley has the potential to be considered world class and I predict that it will eventually surpass Pinot Gris plantings.” Brent Stone, King Estate’s winemaker sums things for the Willamette Valley this way: “We know the variety can do well here and think it can be one of the next great wines that Oregon is known for.”
Not to be outdone, winemakers in the Rogue Valley are also devoting a lot of attention to their version of Sauvignon Blanc. Eric Weisinger, who made wines in New Zealand for several years, is busy exploring special sites. In 2023 he made a Sauvignon Blanc from The Cole Family Vineyard, a high-elevation, cool site, in the Applegate Valley sub AVA. Eric barrel fermented the wine in neutral oak and then aged it on the lees. With its bright fruit and lime aroma, it offers a rich smooth texture, great length but retains vibrancy.
Similarly, Kiley Evans of Padigan Wines barrel fermented their 2024 in neutral oak and then extended the lees contact for 6 months. And voila! It is loaded with vibrant fruit aromas and has a rich, smooth texture, bright minerality in its flavors and a crisp finish.
Not to be overlooked, the 2024 Sauvignon Blanc from Peter William Vineyard is a stunner. It offers an attractive Sancerre-like aroma, but has loads of flavors and a lengthy finish.
While there’s plenty of excitement in Southern Oregon to match that of the Willamette Valley, the northerly AVA of the Columbia Gorge AVA has its formidable advocates. Anna Matzinger, now also a busy consultant, served as winemaker and general manager for Archery Summit for 14 vintages before joining forces with Michael Davies who made wines for Rex Hill and A to Z wineries. For their own label, they make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Willamette Valley, and Grenache and Sauvignon Blanc from the cool, windy Columbia Gorge. Their 2021 “Gorgeous Savvy” Sauvignon stands out from the crowd. My note ends with this: “Light in color, the nose of this wine is seriously flinty, chalky with lime and lemon zest. Medium bodied, it offers flavors of vibrant fruit with a leesy texture. Brisk in the finish with hints of flint and minerality.”
Matzinger-Davies’ other Sauvignon Blanc, subtitled “Unabridged” goes way off the chart. Cold fermented with whole clusters for 8 weeks, it was aged on the light lees for 14 months. So much is going on that it’s best to let the winemaker describe this amazing wine: “I love the expression of greenness here fresh and newly risen like fiddleheads, pea shoots, spruce tips and nettle. There is lime zest and ginger, bay leaf and sea greens, angelica, bee balm, cardamom and salt. This wine is expansive, mouthwatering and wide with a texture and acidity almost crystalline.”
Coming from diverse viticultural sub-regions, we can naturally ponder whether there is a distinct Oregon style of Sauvignon Blanc. Surprisingly at this early stage, there seems to be one emerging that aims toward Sauvignon Blanc that lean toward the Loire Valley in aroma and texture but also retain some of the zippy, bright style that is New Zealand’s distinctive component.
Brent Stone of King Estate describes it this way: “The Sauvignon Blanc wine style in Oregon can be really nice. You still get some of those traditional tropical and stone fruit notes but also subtle minerality and crisp acidity that can add balance and often make the wines very food-friendly at the same time.”
To Joe Dobbes, the stylistic goal is this: “What world class Sauvignon Blanc should look like [for me] is true varietal character showcasing primarily copious amounts of fruit and not herbs and vegetables; crisp, forward acidity and freshness in the palate; and attention to combining all the above with palate weight, which makes the wine more interesting.” He adds, “I love the character and the richness of Sancerre and also appreciate the fresh zestiness of New Zealand.”
As this story continues to unfold over the next few vintages, it is clear that Oregon Sauvignon Blanc is no Chardonnay wannabe, nor a simple quaffing Pinot Gris. One unifying theme is that whether from the northern boundary of the Columbia Gorge or the Southern end of the Rogue Valley, the new Sauvignons are food-friendly, showing their best features as a complement to food. They are because the acidity brings vibrancy but the savory texture or palate weight enables them to stand up to a range of main courses.
The timing is great since so many of the California pioneers of Sauvignon Blanc/Fume Blanc have been acquired by corporations which over time have diluted the wine. Gone are the days when you could savor the excellent versions from Matanzas Creek, Murphy-Goode, Ferrari-Carano, Folie A Deux, Geyser Peak, Kunde Girard and so on.
One major exception: Dry Creek Vineyards.
For readers who want to catch the wave, you should know Oregon’s trend setters are generally small family owned wineries making relatively small batches. So going direct to the winery to buy or to learn where their Sauvignons are available, here are my top ten:
Iterum Wines ‘Old Friend’ Oak Grove Vineyard, Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Andrew Rich Vintner Croft Vineyard, Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Patricia Green Cellars, Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Padigan Wines, Rogue Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Matzinger Davies Winery, Columbia Gorge (Oregon) Sauvignon Blanc “Gorgeous-Savvy” 2021
Weisinger Family Vineyard Cole Family Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Peter William Vineyard Rogue Valley Sauvignon 2023
King Estate Oregon Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Kriselle Cellars Rogue Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Quady North 4 Diamonds Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc , Southern Oregon
Why would any normal person start a winery these days? Well, let’s go rogue and find out.
Oregon just nudged ahead of Washington State and is now home to over 1,000 wineries, second only to California. The last I heard California had over 4000 wineries. New wineries are opening up each week and the Rogue Valley is attracting more than its fair share of newbies.
But why now?
The oft quoted reason is “the pursuit of a dream and the lifestyle.” That was voiced during the boom decades of the 70s and 80s in California and still reverberates in this decade along the entire West Coast.
Who are these wine dreamers? In the US, unlike in traditional wine countries, most winery start-up founders are career changers (doctors, lawyers, high-tech) but a few are from a farming background and a few are out and out science nerds. Yes, there are wineries started by celebrities of some kind with too much money and too big of an ego. And then there’s the epiphany story.
When you peek behind the label to see who the owners are among the rising stars, you once again encounter the Rogue Valley’s diversity.
Goldback Wines: Watch out for Lightning
Speaking of an epiphany, Goldback is a good place to start our second tour of the Rogue Valley. Named after a fern indigenous to Southern Oregon, this authentic, small lot artisan winery was launched in 2016 by winemaker/owner Andy Meyer. He caught the wine bug as a college student looking for a summer job. “I answered a craigslist ad for a tasting room job for the summer, which just happened to be for Cristom Vineyards. Within 15 minutes of driving up the driveway for the interview, a lightning bolt struck. I knew that working in wine was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
After the lightning strike his resume expanded to include working harvests at William Selyem and Hirsch Vineyards in Sonoma, Felton Road in New Zealand, Mark Ryan in Washington, and Cape Mentelle in South Africa. From these experiences as well as his time as a restaurant wine director, he favors a minimalist approach to winemaking and aims to preserve natural acidity in whites and tannin integration in his reds.
As for his own wines, the red Cuvee is the winery’s version of a Cotes du Rhone, drink now red. A blend of 58% Syrah and 42% Grenache, it offers plenty of bright raspberry fruit in its aroma and has a pleasing soft entry to deliver berry and cherry flavors.
Goldback’s Syrah is a blockbuster that showcases Syrah’s full throttle concentration and purity and is all about the grape and the site. In recent vintages, Meyer sought out the nearby Meadowlark Vineyard with its granite soils and sustainable farming. But the site is also very windy which forces the vines to shut down frequently and contribute to a long growing season. Similar, says Meyer, to the effect of the Mistral in the Rhone. The resulting wine is dark purple and loaded with ripe plum and a floral, wild thyme character. Medium full, it is concentrated with dense, ripe black fruit flavors and some black pepper. Plush and seamless, it will benefit from a couple of years of bottle aging. But could age for a decade or more.
From the oldest block of Grenache from the neighboring Jaxon Vineyard,Goldback’s Grenache is a selection of the winemaker’s favorites. Those selected stood out for being “Pinot Noir-ish”and the wine is indeed not your typical Grenache. A long cold soak and a 22 day fermentation with some whole clusters, the wine was aged 18 months in neutral French oak. The nose offers up loads of vibrant, cherry, strawberry fruit that carry over into the smooth flavors. There’s a touch of earthiness in the nicely textured finish. In 2020, Goldback continued experimenting and bottled one barrel of Grenache that was 100% whole cluster, carbonic maceration.
A beautiful hillside vineyard overlooking the Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon was planted by Dr. Peter William Adesman. Along with being a full-time practicing physician, he has been an avid wine collector and educator since the 1970s, and long dreamed of producing his own wines. He notes: ”In 2007, my wife, Dr. Robin Miller, and I moved to a property in the Rogue Valley where we could plant a 10-acre vineyard. That is how Peter William Vineyard was born. Our first commercial vintage was 2016.”
Peter, only call him “Doctor” if you are his patient, is dynamic, enthusiastic and has an encyclopedic wine knowledge based on tasting and traveling. For his winery, Syrah is offered in several styles. Of the 4 Syrahs made by this winery in 2018, one labeled Candives is 100% Syrah made from the estate vineyard and aged entirely in French oak, 50% new. To distinguish it from the others, the winery went with the “Candives” name, said to be an alternate name for Syrah used in the tiny village of Chavanay in the Northern Rhone Valley. As fine as the other 2018s are, this is so dark, dense, and dramatic that the special name is certainly merited. Ultra smooth and seamless, it is beautiful now but will also bring rewards with cellaring. 94 points.
Another small batch Peter William Syrah is made from estate grown grapes which are vinified by winemaker Eric Weisinger who is the “W” referenced on the label. The end result is a compact, powerful expression of Syrah that may be one of the best values around these days. It is pure ripe Syrah beginning with its dark color and earthy, leathery, black pepper aromatics.
Then there’s an exciting blend from Peter William aptly named “Extravagance.” It may be going on elsewhere, but Southern Oregon sure seems to be a hotbed of creative winemaking energy leading to fascinating blends and unusual wines. A 50-50 blend of Tempranillo and Syrah, Extravagance is aged for 21 months in French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered. This intriguing blend turns out to be delicious red wine with both depth and charm. It comes across as ripe, plush Syrah built on a Tempranillo framework.
In 2023, the 2-Hawk Winery was rebranded Padigan, the name taken from a soil type. This 24 acre vineyard is owned by Ross Allen, a third generation farmer from the San Joaquin Valley.
Both before and after the name change, Malbec was a major success along with the winery’s Syrah and Viognier. With the release of its 2019 wines, the winery began hitting full stride. 2019 was an exceptionally long, coolish growing season, and the winery’s estate grown Malbec was not harvested until mid to late October. The juice was wild yeast fermented, blended with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged for 28 months in oak. 21% new, 61% neutral. Intensely dark, this Malbec is concentrated and needs some aeration to strut its stuff Overall, an exciting, multi-layered Malbec.
Then there’s Padigan’s Viognier. It takes a grower who knows every vine on the estate to know the best time to harvest Viognier. Ross works closely with winemaker Kiley Evans who explains:
“The trick with Viognier is getting it ripe beyond the bitter almond finish that can be a nuisance in the wine, but not so ripe that it is overly alcoholic/hot and I’ve seen that progression happen in as little as 2-3 days.”
Padigan’s 2021 is a lovely expression of Viognier. Big and round on the palate, it remains lively with good citrus fruit along with crunchy melon flavors. The texture is heavenly and the wine brings it home with a long lasting finish with a subtle zing to it. This could serve as a benchmark Viognier that’s neither over the top in ripeness and alcohol nor one that relies on oak. Native yeast fermented, It was aged sur lies for 11 months in 35% new French oak and later rested on the lees in stainless for 6 months. It seems likely to become even more complex with aging for 3 to 5 years
DAN and CINdy Marka met while studying viticulture at UC Davis. To them, wine is all about sites, clones, soils and aspect. Both must have been super students because their vineyard is beautiful and impeccably maintained.
Dancin is also one of a handful of Rogue Valley wineries making a Pinot Noir, but Dan Marka explains,
“ Our site was created for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with its north, northeast facing aspect, 1800 foot average elevation and shade occurring beginning at 5:45pm (depending on the Block) throughout the growing season. We are finding that we can produce delicious Pinot Noir with great flavors and balance at alcohol levels in the mid to upper 12’s to the very low 13’s. Our wide diurnal swings allow for flavors and ripeness to occur during the day with acids retained during the overnight hours. We can see daytime highs to overnight lows vary by 40 degrees!”
And he adds that the same Pinot Noir clones ripen later at his site than they do in McMinnville or Dundee.
As a specialist, Dancin is an exception where it is more common to grow a dozen or more varieties within an estate. But, digging a little deeper, you discover the winery’s roster offers lots of exciting choices. Dancin makes 4 distinct Chardonnays, 4 Pinots from different blocks or different clones. It also makes Syrah, Sangiovese and Barbera. If you enjoy Barbera, Dancin’s won’t disappoint.
Weisinger Family Winery: 2nd generation wine grower
Tempranillo Estate, Rogue Valley
The Weisinger Family, on the eastern edge in Ashland is said to specialize in Tempranillo along with, Rhone and Bordeaux varietals.. Quite diverse for a 3,000 case annual output.
Acreage planted to Tempranillo has steadily increased in Southern Oregon over the last decade. Located just outside of Ashland, Weisinger was founded in 1988, making it one of the oldest in Southern Oregon. After assuming the winemaker’s role, Eric Weisinger began grafting over the original Gewurztraminer vines to Tempranillo. Adjacent to the winery, the Tempranillo occupies a steep, high elevation (2235 feet) northeast facing site. The Weisinger Family, on the eastern edge in Ashland is said to specialize in Tempranillo, Pinot Noir, Rhone and Bordeaux varietals, as well as proprietary blends. Quite diverse for a 3,000 case annual output.
My first experience with Weisinger was with the wines from 2018. 2018 was an ideal long, slow growing season with the Tempranillo picked in the first week of October. After being cold soaked and fermented for 20 days by native yeasts, the wine was barrel aged for 17 months in 30% new American oak. It offers lovely bright cherry fruit with hints of black tea and spice in a solid, medium weight package. The black cherry and spice theme continues in the deep flavors with subtle oak toast and firm, integrated tannins coming into play. Beautifully structured and focused throughout, it should drink well over the next 5-7 years. Not surprisingly, Weisinger’s Tempranillos have won many awards. I’ve scored them 93 and 94 in two recent vintages.
Weisinger Family Winery Roussanne, Fortmiller Vineyard, Rogue Valley, Oregon, 2019
Normally part of a Rhone blend, Roussanne as a stand alone varietal is one that seems to challenge winemakers. After experimenting earlier with Roussanne, in 2018 Weisinger resumed its efforts after discovering the north-facing Fortmiller Vineyard in 2018. In 2019, Weisinger harvested the Roussanne at a low 22.4 Brix to preserve acidity and after whole cluster pressing the winery barrel fermented the wine using native and commercial yeasts. The lees were stirred throughout the long fermentation. The result is a wine that showcases floral and lemony aromas, and the flavors are bright with citrus and honeysuckle notes. The leesy texture adds complexity and length to this delicate, lively and pretty wine.
Belle Fiore is the closest thing to a Napa-ish winery with its rather elaborate tasting room and chateau-like facility. It has a busy restaurant and is even a mini art gallery. But it is also serious about its wines made from its 31 acre estate vineyard surrounding the winery. The roster consists of the usual varieties such as Merlot and Syrah but then you get to the “others,” especially the Italians. Here you’ll find a Montepulciano (my fav), a Barbera, Teroldego, Fiano, and a rare Caprettone grape. These are all possible because the owners have identified what they call “16 micro-blocks” based upon soil types and elevation. Owner Edward Kerwin is a clinical research scientist and his wife Karen has an M.A in genetic counseling. Together they launched Belle Fiore in 2007.
Long Walk Vineyard: A Dream Retreat from Silicon Valley
Located in the hills above Ashland, Long Walk is a newly developed vineyard and historic 35 acre orchard owned by Kathy and Tom O’Leary, Silicon Valley techies. After a prolonged search, they settled on this cool, south facing site to pursue their dream to make Rhone inspired wines. The 11-acre vineyard is planted primarily to Rhone varieties. But they also like Zinfandel so there’s a smattering of Zin. “Field Notes” is their version of a GSM Rhone blend. Made from 40% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and a splash of Carignane, it is medium dark in color and unfolds quickly in the glass. The nose starts out with pretty plum fruit along with a hint of leather and game but the bright black fruit character prevails. The flavors add some herbs and cherry and are presented in a round body with gentle, dusty tannins poking through. Pleasantly subtle and charming overall, it is one to enjoy over the next several years. Kudos for the light touch.
With Rose wines being so trendy and Roses now being made from just about every red grape available, it was an eye opener to encounter Long Walk’s rose from a red grape that’s ideal for a Rose: Cinsault. Popular in Southern France, Cinsault is light in color and low in tannin and remains the backbone for many Provence Roses. From vines planted in 2002, this winery’s Rose is an attractive pink-copper color and offers an aromatic mix of just picked strawberries, rose petals and summer flowers. Medium bodied and vibrant, it is balanced and has just enough acidity to bring it to a delicate finish.
As for the Long Walk Zinfandel, it too is impressive.
This new family run winery is based in the small town of Talent, near Medford. The label is a replica used by the family when the land was a pear orchard. Winemaker Matt Newbry and his wife Janéa, attribute the Inspiration Behind Talent Cellars to the very soil their family has been farming In Talent, Oregon since the 1920’s.
Sourced from two nearby vineyards, the 2017 Nuf Said is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon with 13% Petit Verdot and 12% Grenache. It was aged 22 months in French and American oak (50% new). It is medium bodied and vibrant with bright berry fruit and graphite and cedar in the aroma, yet it sweeps across the palate with juicy, ripe fruit and a hint of vanilla from the oak. Beautifully balanced, it finishes with light, ultra smooth tannins. Production was 250 cases.
A banner announcing “All wines, 20% off, semi-annual Wine Sale” caught my eye as I drove quickly past the shopping mall. The next day, slowing down, I noticed the store was one of those discount food places.
Probably nothing but wines in dented cans, right? So I kept driving. A few days later, no longer able to curb my curiosity, I stopped. And shopped. Like really shopped.
The sale was at a Grocery Outlet Bargain Market. The one I visited in Bermuda Dunes was a maze of wine with well over 100, maybe close to 200 wines on display. All in bottles ( no cans) and representing every wine country and many, many regions. Not surprisingly for a discount wine program, Argentina and Chile were well-represented, but Spain and Italy were not far behind. There were several Bordeaux along with the rest of France. California and Washington State had their own sections. One wall was lined with Chardonnay!
My first impression was “What the?” Prices started at $3.99 a bottle, with $6.99 looking like the average. Many of the labels were familiar brands such as Ravenswood, Pedroncelli, St. Clement, Canoe Ridge, McBride Sisters, and Mercer Estates, to cite a few examples. A Rose from one of the most reliable French producers, Chapoutier, was priced at $3.99. There also was a $5.99 white from Quinta de Crasto, a high-end winery well-known to me which is in Portugal’s Douro Valley.
Then I hit the motherlode with Pinot Noir from one of my long-time favorites, Sarah’s Vineyard in Santa Clara County. Normally selling for $35, there they were at $6.99. That first visit saw me walk out with several bottles in addition to the Pinots, and I’ve visited other Grocery Outlets since then.
I always try unfamiliar wines and while a few purchased were dogs woofing at me, the price range makes these explorations relatively painless.
But why are some wines so heavily discounted? My best guess is poor marketing on the part of the producer, the sales team, the importer and/or wholesaler. A small winery may need the cellar space for the newest vintage, or it just may need cash flow by selling in quantity. Bigger producers may be discontinuing the product or the label. Whatever, the appeal of the Grocery Outlet is that it doesn’t advertise the way the typical Safeway/Abertson chains do. For a producer, importer, and wholesaler, selling quickly and quietly has its appeal.
Since most normal people have not been writing about wines and probably haven’t spent time in every major wine country and tasted literally thousands, for what it may be worth to you, I’m going to share my thoughts and shopping tips here. After that, if you are still with me, the conversation will shift to some background about Grocery Outlet which has almost as many stores as Trader Joe’s but it is less well known.
Shopping Tips from a Wine Professional
1. Read the back label. The boring flipside with the mandatory details, not the artsy, colorful one with the brand. For each wine that interests you, if you don’t recognize the brand, look at the back label for the name of the producer. Or the company that bottled it. Both are in the fine print. Begin by learning the producer’s name is step #1.
2. The back label will also tell you the involvement of the producer/bottling company. For instance,”Produced & Bottled By” is a good sign indicating that the winery made most of the wine in the bottle, rather than buying it from another company. “Cellared By” is less reliable and
“Vinted & Bottled by” is pretty bogus. “Vinted” to me says the wine was bought ready-made and simply bottled.
3. Now to the wine’s origin. Check the place name, the appellation (where the grapes were grown) on the front label, such as Napa Valley or Columbia Valley with the home of the producer/bottler on the back. If you are looking at a Cabernet from Columbia Valley but see on the back that it was bottled in Napa, Lodi, or Acampo, it is a brand owned by a major company and the wine was trucked to a common bottling facility. The grapes may be grown in Napa or Sonoma, but If it says “Bottled in Modesto, CA,” the wine is, like Barefoot, one of dozens of brands owned by Gallo.
Yes, wines are transported in tanker trucks and in boats on their way to be bottled. You may be shocked to know that many Sauvignon Blancs made in New Zealand are shipped literally to a bottling plant in California. Check that back label if in disbelief.
4. How old is too old? Making sense out of the vintage date and vintage information. The year, say, 2020, simply tells you when the grapes were harvested, not when the wine was bottled. Most wines are at their best when young, especially whites and Roses. But a 3 or 4 year old white is not necessarily over the hill. A Rose, despite its fragile drink soon image can often be enjoyable 2 or 3 years after the vintage.
Red wines are more complicated and most are fairly safe up to 5 years after the vintage. My recent experiences involved two reds from 2013. The first, a Paso Robles, was clearly in decline, dull, lost its fruitiness and a little fizzy. The other, a Syrah from the Sierra Nevada Foothills, was at its peak. It was also an excellent Syrah. And both, to keep us on topic, were priced at $6.99.
But my shopping guideline is to avoid whites and roses that are 5 years or older and stay away from most reds more than 10 years old. Whether offered online or in a wine store, any wine around 10 years of age makes me question where it has been during those years. Was it properly stored? Moved around? Somebody’s reject? Yes, best to avoid older wines.
5. Corks and screw caps become an issue when shopping for discounted wines.. Let’s face it, most wines are displayed standing up and a few end up in the sunniest part of the store. Corks may be traditional but they tend to dry out over time and don’t protect the wine. So you’re better off passing over old wines with corks.
6. If you use the vivino site and take photos of bottles, it is better to use google to learn more about the wine. Vivino doesn’t sell most of these wines so will offer minimal info. Go to google to see if the brand exists, and then look for it at wine.com or cellartracker for its history. If it has one which is a good thing.
7.If you taste new wines with others, don’t give the price paid ahead of time. Both newcomers and longtime wine drinkers have been brainwashed to think price equates to quality. The same people who go to Amazon for the cheapest available product, will be predisposed to not like a cheap bargain wine.
Yesterday NakedWines announced that during the entire month of January it has slashed the price of all its single bottles and cases by 50%. And you don’t have to sign up because no subscription is required,
The half-price deal applies sitewide though a six-bottle minimum purchase applies.
NakedWines offered about 500 wines from around the world with the majority from Caiifornia and the Northwest. One of the biggest online dealers, it experienced a few big bumps in the road recently with management changes and lower than expected sales growth.
Though I’m not a big fan of NakedWines with its annoying talk about subscribers as “angels,” I have bought wines and reviewed the website. It claims to have 300,000 subscribers.
Another issue I had was the arbitrary basic prices given since it can come up with any price it wants to. But at 50% off, things have changed.
I’m also quite familiar with some of the winemakers who put their names on the labels. You can read all about the way so-called “angels” support the winemakers, but there’s much better use of time here to talk about the wines on sale.
So I put together a case of wine that I as a veteran wine critic would recommend and would personally enjoy as a consumer. For the 12 wines selected which were said to have a market value of $409.88 my purchase price was $92.38. The $100 voucher offered me helped.And these vouchers are widely available.
Now to the chosen 12:
Scott Steingraber Building Bridges Rogue Valley Viognier 2021 $12.49
Scott Steingraber Building Bridges Rogue Valley Tempranillo 2022 $19.49
Matt Parish “The 24” Contra Costa Zinfandel 2021 $15.99
Dave Harvey Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Franc 2021 $13.99
Michaud Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2021 $10.49
Mick Schroeter Russian River Chardonnay 2022 $14.99
F. Stephen Millier Black Label Calaveras Zinfandel 2021 $11.99
Scott Kelley Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2022 $16.99
DRG Daryl Groom Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 $18.49
Again, at 50% off, my price for these 12 wines is $92.38.
So, as you can see I prefer its red wines much more than whites and roses.
And I avoid the imports because whether from South America, Europe, or other countries, they are bottled in the USA.
A Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile or Malbec from Argentina imported and bottled in Lodi or in Napa’s American Canyon? That means they arrived by trucks and boats in large containers and have been pumped and fiddled with. Some I tasted were ok at best, but others were not.
As for other advice, it is better to act quickly because over its history when it runs out of some wines nakedwines then suggests replacements. That can go bad.
Browse the list to find those you prefer. Many big names with big price tags are included.
Shipping is free on any 12 bottle order.
My Overview of wineExpress.com
wineExpress.com tries to balance “value and service” which suggests it is neither a giant warehouse nor a down-and-dirty discount site. It is the exclusive online wine shop partner of The Wine Enthusiast catalog and website. So it is well-financed and has an excellent facility for storage and shipping.
It really leads the online field in big-named wines like Gaja, Dominus, Sassicaia, Shafer, Caymus Special Select, and, yes Perrier-Jouet and Dom…all slightly discounted with the Sassicaia 25% below retail.
The site works through the usual sorting procedures with click on searches by variety, price and region. It also offers several wine club options and gift packages.
But, and this is interesting. It also sorts the Labor Day list by “Woman Owned” and “Minority Owned.”
One special touch is a series of videos taking you through tastings that are conducted by Josh Farrell, its Wine Director.
He often runs through the daily wine special which can then be purchased. He is one excellent swirler, BTW, and he encourages decanting and/or aerating young wine.
You can learn a lot about judging wine by watching a few of his videos.
And throughout the year this site continues to offer several good value wines under $20.
From the winery’s cellar courtesy of Bill Easton. The color here is medium yellow but with some lively green glints. You really have to suspend your instincts about an “old” looking white because this wine is still very much alive. The intense aroma is a combination of nectarine and candle wax with some citrus and green tea subtleties. Concentrated with layers and layers of flavors, the wine offers a silky smooth, creamy texture from bottle aging. It has developed nuances of pear and honey flavors and a touch of almond but it is all seamless and harmonious at this stage. Finishes long and lively. What a treat to experience how well Roussanne responds to cellaring. It held up well when tasted again a day later. Amazing wine. 98 points 
Norm Roby's Unfiltered Guide to Savvy Wine Shopping 