The Desert WIne Guy - 2011 Peirano Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

   O.k everyone here is the promised review of the 2011 Peirano Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Lodi, C.A. I'll start off  with the beginning of the review by giving the end of the review right away. Are you ready? Get a bottle NOW!
   This review was prompted by the fact that I had already done a tasting for the 2009 Periano Estates Six Clones, Merlot (see my review already posted below) also from Lodi, C.A. I went to the store to buy another bottle  and there were no more on the shelves, they were sold out. Oh no, what do I do now, I thought. I started to look over the shelves and came across the Cabernet Sauvignon from Peirano Estates (http://peirano.com/vineyards.html) and figured, why not. Boy am I glad I did because this wine is a winner in every way. To start off the price on the bottle is around $11 which makes this wine accessible to everyone and when you taste it will please you even more. The big question is what do you get for $11? The short answer is, an outstanding wine that's what you get.You get an incredible Cabernet Sauvignon at an incredible price that's what. Please read on.
   This delightful wine starts off with a very light in color pour but don't let that disuade you from giving this wine a taste. The first taste was done without Decanting and at while at room temperature. The first taste to hit your palette is Oak which is quickly followed by Current, Black Berry and ending with a very Black Cherry and the slight hint of chocolate. All of the flavors are combined to create an incredibly smooth, evenly balanced Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine even lends to a hint of spice which I find is most interesting and welcome in the Cabernet. Tannins, for the most part are absent in this wine but they are not really missed or needed to be honest since the flavors are combined so well. The Oak is the most powerful taste here but yet not overpowering as it combines well with all the other flavors as I have already said. I think that the Oak combined with the Current sets this wine off. The Black Berry and the Cherry just continue to drive the wine over the top and into the area of fantastic.
   My suggestions for drinking this wine is that you chill it but only slightly. I think that room temperature for this particular wine might be too warm. I would Decant it also since I feel the flavors would express themselves even more. If drank this wine with dinner I would make it on a night that a heavy meat is served. This wine lends itself to a steak or roast or perhaps even a strongly flavored Sausage .Having said this I would stay away from Chicken or Pork with this wine since the texture of the meat I feel would not be dense enough to enjoy this powerful Cabernet Sauvignon masterpiece with.

                                                                                                       The Desert Wine Guy

The Desert WIne Guy - It's Wine After All

      I personally am very opinionated and while not in any way involved with politics I do have very strong opinions and try and live my daily life standing up for them by way of words and actions. What my beliefs are is not the subject of this article. The purpose of this article is to discuss and review wine and anything associated with wine. Have you ever totally loved a movie, an actor or actress or song and then found out they made some big speech at a concert or interview where they were totally opposed to your political opinion? What is your reaction the next time you see them in concert or in a movie? That is exactly why politics or my beliefs on social issues should and  will remain off limits here. You as the reader will come here to get reviews on wine or the wine industry ONLY. You will make the final decision as to whether to buy a product or to believe in a wine regulation or not. Does it really matter if I am Liberal or Conservative? Does that really come into play as to whether I like a wine or not? The answer is no, it does not. My advise to all the blogs (and for that matter actors) about wine is to stick to wine. Doing so will serve your readers much better since they come to get opinions and reads articles on wine that's what they want. Those whose choose to go off into the area of politics does so at the risk of loosing their readers. Review wine, wine gear, wine news, after all you are a wine blog are you not?
     Here is an update on what I am working on. I am going to be looking into redoing my Facebook page. I haven't been giving it the time I should and I will be attempting to change that. I also did a tasting on two wines. I tasted the 2011 Peirano Estate Cabernet Sauvignon form Lodi C.A as well as (yesterday) the 2009 Madella Real - Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon. I will be posting those reviews very soon. The next few days it's back to work at my real job. I also am going to be looking into ordering my Cabernet Sauvignon seeds to start off my new Vineyard. I will also be doing a white wine grape but I haven't decided on what it will be yet. Check back soon for updates to the Blog.


                                                                                                     The Desert Wine Guy

The Desert WIne Guy - Seared Ahi Tuna Steaks

The following receipe comes from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/seared-ahi-tuna-steaks/detail.aspx


Ingredients:

2  (5 ounce) Ahi tuna steaks

1  Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

Directions:

1) Season the tuna steaks with salt and cayenne pepper. 

2) Melt the butter with the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the peppercorns in the   mixture until they soften and pop, about 5 minutes. Gently place the seasoned tuna in the skillet and cook to desired doneness, 1 1/2 minutes per side for rare.


                                                                                                        The Desert Wine Guy

The Desert WIne Guy - 2009 Peirano Estates Six Clones Merlot

  In 1879 Giacomo Peirano (http://peirano.com/vineyards.html) moved to San Francisco from Genoa, Italy with $50. After trying his hand at the Gold Rush, where he was unsuccessful he moved to Lodi, C.A where he went into business selling goods to the miners. Giacomo became very successful and was able to go back to Italy to be with his wife, Maria. Giacomo came up with the idea to be a Jeweler. He moved back to Lodi, this time bringing his wife as well as some Italian Zinfandel vine cuttings from his family's vineyard. Giacomo bought 300 acres of land. He planted the Zinfandel and started the first vineyard in Lodi. After enduring Prohibition, The Great Depression & World War II the Peirano vineyards still are making wine. Today the fourth generation is running the vineyard. Lance Randolph is heading the vineyard and making wine. How good is that wine? Read on and find out. 

   After some time off of wine tasting I decided to jump right back into it. I went to what I call my "non serious" wine rack and pulled out a Merlot that I have been interested in tasting for some time now. I like to buy most of my wines without knowing about them. I like the experience of opening a bottle of wine without knowing anything about the taste other than from the bottle. This time I picked the 2009 Peirano Estates, Six Clones Merlot. This tasting was done with the wine at room temperature, which is how it has been stored. The color of the wine was medium red in appearance with the body being a what I would consider medium bodied. I would say this wine was perfect for a nice dinner of Lamb, pork or sausage or a seasoned or smoked meat. I would avoid cheap or bland or salty meats since it will take away from the quality of wine. This wine demands a hearty meat maybe even a stew. If I was relaxing while sitting at the fireplace with a book, I would love to have this wine. There are no Tannins to speak of but this wine doesn't need them.I tasted mostly Blackberry mixed with black Cherry and a hint of Chocolate. There was an Oakey taste to it that also added to the great taste.

   The bottom line here is this wine is on my favorites list. The price I paid for it was $15 at Total Wine & Spirits. I have had $100 bottles of wine and they couldn't compare to this wine. The bad news here is I have tried finding this wine again but they do not carry it any longer. I have done some searching on line but haven't had any luck as of yet. If you have luck finding this wine I would pick up three bottles. One to drink and enjoy now and realize that my review was right on and the other two to put away for special company or for a few years down the road. Peirano Estates, 2009 Six Clones Merlot. What a great Merlot is all about.


                                                                                                        The Desert Wine Guy

The Desert Wine Guy - Filet Mignon With Cabernet Sauce

 

 

 

This recipe was taken from the website:  http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Filet-Mignon-With-Cabernet-Sauce-My-Recipes

 

 

 

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 16 ozs steaks (fillet Mignon)
• 1/2 tsp salt (divided)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (freshly ground, divided)
• 1/4 cup shallots (minced)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsps low sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1 cup fat free less sodium beef broth
• 2 tsps butter
  
  
  Preparation:
  
      Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle both sides of steaks evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add steaks to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan. Add shallots to pan; sauté 1 minute. Stir in vinegar and soy sauce, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates, stirring constantly. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, wine, and broth; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 11 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in butter. Serve with steaks.
  
                                                                                        The Desert Wine Guy
  

The Desert WIne Guy - 2007 Trinitas Sauvignon Blanc

  Today we will be reviewing a very reasonably priced ($15) Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc from Trinitas, Napa Valley. Hopefully you are sitting back with your favorite 80's tunes and enjoying whatever wine or spirits you are enjoying and are ready to think about your next wine because this review will guide you right to it. Located in Napa Valley California, Trinitas was formed in 2002 by Tim and Steph Busch www.trinitascellars.com/Our-Story  and is considered a small production vineyard.  Trinitas produces all the popular varieties of wine however (according to their website) does NOT produce a Merlot for whatever reason.
   Are you ready for our tasting,  here it is. To start off this review I purchased a new set of wine glasses which is called "Vintners Stemware Cabernet" glassware (Crystal) by Libby. This glassware was actually purchased at a local Smiths grocery store which is a big food Supermarket located here is las Vegas. Opening our bottle of Trinitas 2007 Sauvignon Blanc which was corked, revealed a bouquet of Apricot & Peach combined with Nectarine & Grapefruit when swirled. Yes, there is a lot going on but trust me it all amounts to an extremely pleasant start. If this beginning all sounds like a great start then you are on the right road. A few swirls of the glass released a wonderful bouquet. The bouquet does fade fast however and the glass must be swirled on a regular basis if you would like to continue to enjoy it (I recommend you do). The finish on our Sauvignon Blanc is of an Apricot finish and is indeed very pleasant. The bottle reads that there is a Cinnamon taste to it however I did not taste Cinnamon in any way (and neither did my wife). The wine was very light in appearance and golden in color. While sipping on the wine I would say that although there was a slight dryness / acidic taste to the wine it was not overpowering and while it did impart its characteristic's on the wine it was in a very positive way. I recommend that this wine be Decanted for around an hour and not drank at to cold a temperature. By the way this whole drinking beverages really cold is totally wrong. A liquid that is too cold does not allow you to taste the flavor or the bouquet of it( I am sorry, I had to get that out of my system). Please look for my future article on tasting. I believe that there is a misconception on drinking beverages cold.
   In ending this review, my recommendation is to drink this wine at room temperature or slightly above room temperature and you will have embarked on a journey that you will not forget. The wine bursts with fruit while held in the palate and is pure enjoyment. This wine is highly recommended by me but please remember to give it the time to develop, you will not regret it. I recommend that a nice Shrimp dinner with rice be enjoyed with this wine......or at least maybe some Duran Duran :).
                                                                                                                               The Desert Wine Guy
  

The Desert WIne Guy - Cruz Alta - Cabernet Sauvignon

Cruz Alta


   Today's review is on a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Cruz Alta which is located in Mendoza Argentina. I attempted some research on the name Cruz Alta but the only thing I can find is the following "Cruz Alta is a brand of wines produced in the Mendoza province of Argentina. These are value-priced wines made from traditional regional grapes such as Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay available in standard releases and reservas". This was written by someone named Amanda Schuster who it turns out is a writer / consultant for Wine & Spirits magazine. The wine boasts, on the bottle that it is of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon in nature and that that is aged for 10 months in 50% new French Oak. Does that make a superb wine? We will soon see. Today's tasting, by the way will be done with my new Waterford, Robert Mondavi crystal wine glass. These cost $50 dollars for two. By the way, wine glasses will be the topic of my next post so keep posted.

   The wine itself was bought from Total Wine & Spirits here in las Vegas and just reading the label does make it sound interesting and worth buying for around $12. To start off this is a corked bottle which I like over a screw cap (yes it matters to me). Lets, however move on to the meat of the article. The wine has a strong Oak and Blackberry bouquet which I found very appealing. The bouquet was very powerful and it did lead me to believe that the wine was going to be a powerful Cabernet. Powerful Cabernet, is that what I said? Well.....I guess smells can be deceiving. The wine opens up to Blackberry and Dark Cherry. There are very slight Tannins that do increase slightly as the wine breaths. I started off by not liking this wine but as it opened up I started to discover that it had a very....consistent aroma and taste that I rather enjoyed. The wine was very nice. It was a medium bodied Cabernet and I rather enjoyed it. The Blackberry and light Cherry notes still persisted however, it opened up (after an hour) to a very decent wine. The bouquet was powerful (ill say it again). I know I keep harping on the bouquet but buy a bottle and pour a small amount and let me know what you think. The Tannins are at the perfect level and actually compliment the wine and add to the appeal. There are just the right amount of Tanning to set the wine off. The wine can be held for at least another year without any problem and still enjoyed.
  Here is the bottom line. Buy, buy, buy. Did I say buy? I think that for around $12 you need to sample the bouquet on his wine. If you stop there you are still a winner but while you have it opened and the music in on and the wife (or husband) and kids are gone you might as well enjoy it :). I recommend that the wine Decant for at least an hour ands a half before drinking. Yes, I know that is a long time but the wine deserves it and after tasting it, you will realize that.

                                                                                                         The Desert Wine Guy

The Desert Wine Guy - Fun Summer Drink, Riesling Mojito

Riesling Mojito


Directions:

Rim pint glass with lime wedge and dip rim in sugar. Set aside.
Place Riesling, lemonade and mint leaves in cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously to crush mint leaves.
Pour into prepared sugar rimmed pint glas



Description:

Recipe: Drinks
Prep Time: 5 to 15 mins
Ingredients
4 ounces Barefoot Riesling Wine
2 ounces Lemonade
8 large or 12 small fresh Mint Leaves
Lime Wedge & Sugar – for garnish

The Desert WIne Guy - Barefoot (E&J Gallo) Merlot

Barefoot Merlot

 OK folks here is my latest wine review. Today we will review a Merlot by Barefoot (E&J Gallo). The label is actually owned by E&J Gallo label (http://barefootwine.com/our-wines/red-wines/merlot) which is the largest family owned winery in the United States. The label was created in 1965 by Davis Bynum when he made a wine called Bynum Burgandy, however  (as the website says) ".... our spirited ways really began with our founders, Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey". Barefoot Sellers itself was actually started in 1986 by Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey who their website says "took a sleepy label and gave it sole". In 2005 the label joined with  E. & J. Gallo winery. They also market under the label Impression® Red Blend. It is marketed as a middle class or "average Joe" wine. The website is focused on fun, excitement & good times. The label is geared toward the "Barbeque by the pool crowd".

  There is no year listed on the bottle of Barefoot Merlot however the bottle does say that it won a Double Gold Medal at the 2007 International Eastern Wine Competition. For starters the initial taste is of black cherry that is also how it finishes. There are slight Tannins in the wine I sensed a slightly watery end along with the Black Cherry although it is not terrible and believe it or not does not detract form the wine. There is also the heavy impact of Oak you can taste its influence in the wine. I believe that the wine is marketed at the proper price point and to the proper consumer judging by it;s website. The wine does open up and I suggest Decanting for a half hour to 45 minutes. This does develop the wine into a decent wine actually, especially for 5-6 dollars. If you are in a hurry you will not get the true taste of the wine (yes it does matter). This should also you enough time for you change yourself and the kids into bathing suits and to grab the suntan lotion and towel.
 
  OK here is he bottom line. The wine is marketed perfectly. Excitement, being lazy around the pool with friends (do not try to impress them). The price point is correct and the taste is in line with its marketed consumer. The wine is a decent wine for a good time on a fun day. It is however, not for serious wine drinking nor is it meant for serious wine drinking. This does not mean that I don't recommend the wine, I actually do. I simply believe that like our favorite wines it has it's time and place. Here is the last word. On a sunny day get to the pool or park for a picnic and bring a couple of bottles along with you. The friends who are use to drinking a cheap wine that never develops will love the wine and you.

                                                                                                       The Desert Wine Guy

The Desert Wine Guy - On Wine Storage

   You have just arrived back home from Napa Valley or your favorite wine region and have spent a little more than you planned to on your wine purchases. You may have intended to only spend a couple of dollars for each bottle you bought, maybe $30. Well guess what......you spent a little more than you planned. "The winery was so beautiful" you say. "The experience of tasting was so well done". "The staff was so friendly" and yes the wine was so good.....and expensive. Well anyway you did it. You went ahead and took the plunge. The wine (good or bad) is now yours. Whether this is your first bottle you have ever purchased that you thought about storing or you are have a few bottles put away on a shelf. You have now decided that it is time to finally store your wine correctly. Now what? The answer is laid out in this article so read on. You can’t just simply drink "your good wine" it for any reason so what you have to store it away. Today we will deal with just how to do that. To start with there are a few things you need to know about wine storage.

     Light:   There are a few things that will affect the wine and eventual the taste of that wine. The first item we will discuss is light. Strong, direct light can ruin a bottle of wine.   Light-bodied white wines are most susceptible to being damaged or ruined by light. Most wineries store their wine in wood or corrugated boxes. Keeping wine away from all light may not be possible or practicle but eliminating extended periods of time your wine spends in strong light is to be avoided.

     Humidity:  There is conflicting opinions as to what the perfect level of humidity is or even whether humidity is even important at all. Whatever the opinions are this writer feels that maintain some form of humidity is beneficial. If I had my way I would maintain humidity of at least at 55 – 75 % although once again I will repeat that the jury here is still out.

     Temperature:   This is a very important part of wine storage. Different types of wine should be stored at different temperatures which is why a dual zone wine storage area is advisable. In general temperatures above 77 degrees Fahrenheit for extended periods of time will ruin a wine. A more delicate wine such a a Riesling will be more apt to ruin as opposed to say Madeira which is made with high heat. On the other extreme wine that is exposed to cold temperatures such as freezing will destroy the cork by causing the wine to expand which will push the cork out and allow air into the bottle. Very large temperature changes like moving the wine from room temperature to a refrigerator frequently can cause chemical reactions which will alter the wine. The experts at Rosehill wine Cellars for instance recommend that wines be kept between 40 -65 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep in mind also that the cooler the temperature at storage the slower the wine will age. Since wine aging is affected by temperature we can speed up or slow this down.  If a wine will be stored for short term then a temperature of 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit are acceptable. After researching many different articles I myself have come to the conclusion that the perfect temperature is 55 degrees Fahrenheit which is what mine is set at.

     Position of bottle:  Most of us are aware that the overwhelming majority of wine racks store wine bottles on their sides. The reasoning is that this position allows the cork to maintain some portion of itself wet which continues to keep the cork from drying out. The exception to this rule is for Champagne and Sparkling wines which seem to age better if kept upright. The recommended positioning of most wines is on its side.


                                                                                                        The Desert Wine Guy                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

The Desert WIne Guy - Temecula California, The New Napa?

   When we think of California wineries we probably automatically think of the Northern California areas of the Napa Valley, Sonoma area. There is however, an up and coming region that is attempting to carve out a nitch for Southern California wine. The Southern California city of Temecula it appears, is attempting to become the next Napa Valley. Temecula is a middle to upper middle class city located in Southern California. The average income is $70,493 and the temperatures range from the mid-70s to the mid-90s. Today’s temperature (June 6, 2013) is actually 75 degrees. The average rainfall is 19 inches a year. According to the city of Temecula’s website http://www.cityoftemecula.org/Temecula/Businesses/demographics/ the population is listed at 103,092. Temecula is approximately 60 minutes away from San Diego, approximately 90 minutes away from Los Angeles and around 5 hours away from Las Vegas (my home) and is located on Highway 15 at the Rancho California Rd exit. Make a left (coming from Las Vegas) and follow the signs. According to the Temecula Visitors site (http://www.temeculacvb.com/visitors/wine-country/) there are 31 wineries located in the city of Temecula.

   In 1820, the first vineyard was established in a mission from Spain to use for sacramental wines. In the 1960s, the first wineries were created. Temecula grows a variety of wines such as; Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Syrah, Grenache, Sangiovese and Tempranillo. All this is possible because the soil is comprised of coarse sand and decomposed granite. It contains little organic material and drains very well (sounds like Las Vegas). Most of the vineyards are planted at elevations between 1,400 and 1,600 feet above sea level. Temecula wine country is growing as shown by the fact that when the county prepared its 2003-2004 plan there were 27 wineries and as of December 2012 there were an additional 15 new wineries with a plan to expand to 105 wineries. I can tell you from a personal observation that the city of Temecula is very beautiful and the wineries are a delight to visit although they do seem to be a little more stuck up, so to speak than Napa wineries. My experiences are that the wineries in Temecula seem less people oriented then the wineries in Napa, possibly because they have had less time to learn customer service, they also seem less willing to deal with customers who are not yet educated on wine. This MUST change and soon if Temecula wants to compete with Napa on a grand scale. These potential customers can either be turned away from the experience of wine or be welcomed into the experience of wine. It is up to Temecula just how serious the region will be taken in the wine world.

   Since I have just started this blog I have not documented any specific wineries with the "attitude" issues but I will start from now on doing write ups whenever I visit the area and I will of course pass this information on to you. I refer you to my article where I review the South Coast Winery where I had an excellent experience and as i've said in the article, actually joined their wine club. Okay folks, that is my little article on Temecula California. If you have any questions please e-mail me and I will try to help you. If anyone has suggestions on an article also please let me know.

                                                                                 The Desert Wine Guy