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 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—and that doesn’t involve any continuing obligation—is really not a club, is it? Could this be some kind of “come on” trying to unload mediocre wine, or is it the real deal?
Peirano Estate Vineyards is the winery and, as I learned through conversations and tastings, it 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 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.
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 available from the winery, 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, and almost anywhere today…and is extremely unusual for a producer selling wines at modest prices
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 a “one price fits all” strategy. Whether they be white or red varietal wines 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 per bottle.
If you need to reconsider that after someone waves smelling salts under your nose, let me run that past you again: Mix and match case deal for wines priced at…eight bucks per bottle.
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 that our wines remain approachable to a wide range of wine lovers.”
So, no surprise in light of this ethic that 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 down 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.
Of course, one can also join the wine “club” by way of the paradoxically-titled “No Wine Club Zone” on the winery’s website.
Most Peirano wines offered today are reds, either blends or varietal bottlings. Among the whites, the blended “Sea Enchantress” 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 (Lodi, California) Red Blend “Artist Series, The Sea Enchantress” 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 beautiful aromas of black olive and licorice, with a blackberry accent 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 naming their wines. There’s “Immortal Zin” and “The Other,” along with “Sea Enchantress” and “Illusion,” with labels based on paintings by Alexis Randolph, representing the fifth generation. The three 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 the most impressive wines:
Peirano Estate Vineyards (Lodi, California) Old Vine ”Immortal Zin” 2022 ($16): Hand harvested from 120-year-old, head-pruned vines, this is an amazing wine to taste. The deep, dark color and concentrated flavors are expected, but the pleasure here is in its ultra-smooth, velvety texture. Blackberry and strawberry are the central themes, but there’s a floral element that elevates the bouquet. 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 holds 15.5% alcohol. 93
Peirano Estate Vineyards (Lodi, California) Cabernet Sauvignon “The Heritage Collection” 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 a bouquet of ripe plum and graphite along with a slight floral and spice touches. 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
Peirano Estate Vineyards (Lodi, California) Red Blend “The Heritage Collection, Winemaker’s Selection” 2022 ($16): The “Collection” and “Selection” terminology really means this is a Reserve level blend of Malbec, Cabernet, Merlot and Tempranillo. After each component is fermented and aged separately, the blend is assembled by the winemaker following the Bordeaux cellar approach. It is barrel aged for 12 months in 15% new oak. With its medium garnet color and bouquet of plum, licorice and a hint of raspberry, it resembles a young Bordeaux. Smooth on the palate with flavors of plum and baking spices, it leads to a pleasing, long finish with a touch of cranberry. Well-integrated tannins make for pleasant drinking now and through 2028. 91
Peirano Estate Vineyards (Lodi, California) Red Blend, “The Artist Series, Illusion” 2022 ($16): The artsy label for this “Illusion” red was designed by Alexis Randolph, from the fifth generation of the family. The blend combines old vine Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet in color, it opens quickly to offer notes recalling plum, blackberry and baking spice. The entry is plush and velvety with concentrated flavors of dark fruit, all on a firm framework. With light tannin and a hint of oak spice, it finishes on a ripe fruit note. 92
Peirano Estate Vineyards (Lodi. California) “The Other” Red 2022 ($16): The 2022 blend consists of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Syrah. This one turns out to be quite full-bodied but is still ready to drink. Cherry and cranberry with some black olive aromatics emerge quickly. The flavors are cherry-ish with black pepper for added interest. Overall, it offers ripe black fruit, but the flavors avoid being overly juicy and the finish is lengthy with dried herbs and dusty tannins. 90
How Is It Possible?
The remaining question, after finding so many wines to be well-made and deserving of good scores, is how can Peirano pull this off at the $16 bottle price? The answer I got from Lance is this:
“First and foremost, we’re a family-owned and operated estate with deep roots in Lodi going back over a century. We own and farm our own vineyards, which means we control the entire process—from vine to bottle. We have no debt, and I don’t take a salary, so we run on pure passion! In short, the success of Peirano Estate Vineyards lies in our commitment to quality, our efficient estate model, and our belief that exceptional wine can be both accessible and affordable.”
If you weren’t a wine lover, you wouldn’t be reading this … and since you are indeed a wine lover, you don’t need me to tell you how exceedingly unusual and admirable the business model of Peirano is—when measured against almost any other wine company in the world.