Peterson Il Granaio

Posted on March 15, 2013 by matthewjramsey

PetersonGran2 Some days ago we experienced a couple of snow days in the plains states. Schools, government and business closed as a blizzard settled into my small town. As a teacher, snow days are something very special. One whole day without plans. They aren’t like other days off, full of errands and activities. A snow day is free.

Snow day food is different, too; perhaps a day of snacking, or a slow, Sunday style meal, prepared on a Thursday. This snow day included a hearty beef stew. I had about six pounds of trimmed rump roast, carrots, onion, garlic, tomatoes (fire roasted, sun dried and paste), and button mushrooms. I also found a few springs of fresh thyme and a jar of crushed hot paprika chilies. There was also red wine.

It has been a busy few weeks and my recent wine club box sat unopened next to the wine rack. I hauled it to the living room and sat on the floor exploring each bottle. It was like the adult version of lining up Hot Wheel cars or Barbie dolls. I settled on the Peterson Il Granaio and what a great choice it was. The richness of the stew complemented the sweetness of the wine in a way that lifted both the beef and the cherry flavors. The heat from those preserved chilies lifted the wine for an amazing compliment. My only regret is that I used a cup of the wine in the preparation of the stew and that was two less glasses to drink. I’m going to drink this wine a lot in the future; particularly with a hearty dish that finishes with a kick.

Pairing wine with food is about experimentation

Posted on December 8, 2012 by matthewjramsey

2010 Peterson Old School Zifandel

We can read the online reviews, the producers information, the tasting notes, and even consult our friends, but eventually we have to stare down our wine racks and make an educated guess about which bottle will best compliment our meal.

The other night I found myself facing a dilemma. The meal. Two poblano peppers stuffed with chicken, rice and cheese. A healthy dose of home canned salsa and some salty, blue corn tortilla chips. I must have stood looking at my bottles for 20 minutes. This was a dish with loads of flavor. I finally decided on the 2010 Peterson Old School Zinfandel. As I opened the bottle I notice the top of the cork read, “no soulless wine.” I knew I’d need a wine with some serious soul to enhance this meal.

I sad down to eat and began working my way into the peppers. A few bites of the stuffing before cutting up the whole pepper; a little salsa here and the crunch of the chips. Every few bits I’d stop to taste the wine. The initial flavors remained and the finish was peppery, but the middle really fell off. My consideration of the wine continued as I finished eating, but half way through, I realized this bottle was not enhancing the meal. I set the glass aside, finished the meal and retired to the study to grade a few term papers. The glass and the bottle accompanied me.

As a post meal drink, the wine opened back up. The fruit returned and I’d almost say the glass achieved a cooling effect on my palate. The wine had soul and I can think of the other dishes I would pair with the wine. Something less spicy maybe a plate of dry rubbed pork ribs finished on the grill, or grilled strip steak. I was happy I’d opened the bottle. Sometimes we have to miss the mark to discover if the soul of our wine compliments the soul of our dish. Luckily with these mistakes, there is still wine!

Zero Manipulation Wines From Peterson Winery

Posted on November 17, 2012 by matthewjramsey

Peterson Winery

I’ve been studying menus for years. The bookmarks on my web browser read like a Beard Foundation nomination shortlist. Some of these restaurants are close, some are far; most are places I’ve visited, others I dream of. A few are the spots where I will celebrate the attainment of personal goals in the coming years.

I’m starting to feel my way around the wine list and when I find one posted with the online menu I have whole new detail over which to obsess, research, and cross-reference. I’m also begun to understand the benefit of the corkage fee.

Living in a city famous for barbecue does not offer the same bottle choice as I experience in my travels to the west coast. As my palate is only beginning to develop and I’ve focused my initial exploration of wine on Sonoma County, it often helps for me to bring a bottle I already know I’ll love when enjoying the work of my favorite local chefs.

When Sami offered me a taste of Zero Manipulation from Peterson Winery, I knew exactly where I would take the bottle. My favorite weeknight haunt focuses on naturally raise livestock. Their dishes are inventive and full of flavor, it is almost possible to taste the earthy space from which the animals came. From my sample glass, consumed while standing in a Geyserville storefront to an open kitchen 1,847 miles away, the connection was real.

It took a few weeks to get my wine shipment because of the summer heat, but one evening not so many weeks ago, I headed out with two bottles; one for the owner, who always treats my kids and I well, and one for the table. We feasted on fresh salads, stinky cheese and the sausage from both goat and lamb. Our knives and forks chattered amidst the clinking of glasses, another celebration made better by the hands of local producers.

Peterson Winery ‘Zero Manipulation’ Philosophy:

At Peterson Winery we practice the philosophy of Zero Manipulation. Our definition of Zero Manipulation is using the most gentle winemaking techniques possible to maximize flavors, aromatics and the original essence of the wine. The less you do in the course of a wine’s tenure in the cellar, the more of that essence you’ll have to bottle. Every time you do something to a wine, you take out a little of what you started with.

Great wine has to be about place. Place in wine is only achieved if the bottled wine reflects where the grapes were grown. There is a huge difference between a great wine that carries a sense of place, and a wine made to taste more appealing with the overuse of new oak, or the presence of residual sugar. When you taste a Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel or a Bradford Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and you have a sense of where that wine originated, then the essence of place has been captured. Our goal is that every vintage captures that sense of place in every wine we produce.

Steaks on the Grill

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Bill Caruthers

Photo courtesy of _BuBBy_'s

Ok, warm weather is upon us and it is time for some STEAKS ON THE GRILL, right?

For your pairing with the Steaks we offer up some excellent Cabernet Sauvignon’s Arbios from Alexander Valley, Ehret from Knights Valley, Peterson 2.4.6. from Dry Creek Valley and Gunfighter from Scharf Family Vineyards.

Not sure which one will please you and your guests? Come on by Locals and taste each of them and match the rich flavors of dark plum, soft leathers and spices to your meal. If you cannot come by give us a call and let us know what your palate is like and we will match the wines for you and ship them out. See you soon.

Bill Cauthers

Bill Caruthers
Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900

Are you ready for Drop In’s

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Bill Caruthers

Locals

It is kind of funny how sometimes the best events are not planned or scheduled. Memorial Day weekend and I had just finished a very busy day at Locals in Geyserville (lots of members picking up their wines and visitors from all across America). Arriving home on the river in Guerneville, I was in the mood for some grilled meats, potato and macaroni salads, watermelon and corn on the cob, I mean how American can you get.

As we prepared for our Memorial Day feast, the smoke of grilled meats wafting down the lane; neighbors walking by stopped to wish us a good holiday and chat, suddenly a chilled bottle of Beachfront from Bedarra appeared, glasses were filled, laughter and conversation drifting down to the River and back drew other drop ins and more wine appeared.

Next extra deck chairs and candles are out and people are visiting, telling stories and talking about sharing meals, so the impromptu pot luck starts to unfold, people bringing dishes to share from their holiday meal. Being the unexpected host of the event I was pleased to be able to walk to the cellar and pull out some great wines for our progressive party. I pulled out two bottles of Peterson Old School Zin and two bottles of Eric Ross 09 Old vine Zin that I knew would pair well with the grilled meats.

Which begs the question are you ready for summer drop in’s and impromptu events. As our event progressed we all started talking about Sonoma Cheeses and everyone went home and brought one cheese from their refrigerator and we paired them with Pendleton’s Estate Late Harvest Sirah, a yummy way to finish the meal. Stop by Locals and sample some wines and find the neighbor pleasing, friend building, fun wines for your house hold and your next event, planned or unplanned.

Bill Cauthers

Bill Caruthers
Locals Tasting Room
(707) 857-4900

Sonoma County and Syrah – A Love Affair

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Bill Caruthers

Ehret Family Winery Vineyard

As reported in the Food and Wine section of the April 8^th edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, “one of the great overlooked facts about Syrah: Historically, even in its motherland, this grape has made truly great wine in only a very, very small portion of the World-essentially a 50-mile stretch along the Rhone River.” “To find a spot where it can use the full timbre of its voice is a great achievement.” “After our most recent tasting of Syrah from Sonoma County, mostly from its coastal appellations”, the San Francisco Chronicle argues that the “Sonoma Coast is a gorgeously good match of grape and place,” especially Syrah’s from this area.

Is it any wonder why we love the wines from Sonoma, with its diverse appellations and weather patterns so great for grapes?

Here at Locals we have four Sonoma Syrah’s. Why not stop by and try a pairing yourself and make your own determination on the Syrah’s from these appellations as well weight in on; is Sonoma County truly the sweet spot in America for this varietal? First in your flight might be Ehret Syrah 2007. This Syrah was all handpicked from Estate Bavarian Lion Vineyards. The slightly higher elevation combined with the rich volcanic soil and warm sunny days create ideal growing conditions for Syrah. Notes of ripe, chewy, black fruits on the nose with hints of spice and green apple temp you to drink the whole thing! This Syrah sells for $32 a bottle retail at Locals or for two bottle and 6 bottle club members it sells for $27.20 and $25.60 respectively. Second in your flight might be Peterson Bradford Mountain Syrah. This 2007 “Gravity Flow Block”, Syrah is a big, flavorful wine. A portion of this block is planted to Viognier which is picked and co-fermented with the Syrah (a classic method of the Northern Rhone region mentioned in the San Francisco Chronicle article), Aromas of blackberry, mineral and oak notes and just a touch of fine-grain leather will lead you to tastes of rich dark berries, creamy mocha and hints of minerality, leather and earth. Peterson Bradford Mountain Syrah sells retail at Locals for $48 a bottle and savings for club members are seen in the $40.80 and $38.40 for two bottle and six bottle club members respectively. Moving on in the Syrah pairing at Locals is Russian Hill-Estate Syrah. This unfiltered Syrah, with Malolactic fermentation taking place in oak barrels is softer to the palate with flavors of white pepper, nutmeg, cocoa, smoke, plum and dark fruited flavors. Russian Hill Estate Syrah sells for $30.00 a bottle retail and always club member save at $$25.50 and $24.00 for two bottle and six bottle members respectively.

Next on your journey down the wine road try Eric Ross Gout De La Vigne, from the famed Alder Springs Vineyard. Elevations reaching 2700 feet above sea level and only 14 clusters per vine carrying less than half the normal crop load help the Syrah ripen with not only power but the elegance of a cold climate Syrah which is co-fermented with Viognier from the same vineyard which adds to the strengths of this Syrah. Aromas of blueberry, pepper and eucalyptus with hits of licorice, integrated French and American oak barrels add a lovely Smokey note to this full bodied wine. Gout De La Vigne sells for $45 for non club members and $38.25 and $36.00 for two bottle and six bottle members respectively.

wineclub

I hope a couple of things resonate with you in this article, first is the opportunity as always at Locals, to stop by and sample some wines. Not only the ones you like and are familiar with but try something new and expand your palate. Second, at Locals our tastings are free as we want customers to find the wines they love, and to consider joining our Club and Saving on all purchase as well as meeting new friends while sampling at great wines with us. See you soon.

More Favorites From Peterson Winery

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Jay Oliver

Peterson Winery Vineyards

Peterson’s Vignobles is a Petite Sirah lover’s Petite Sirah. This wine, across the range of producers, can be all over the park and some are bland while others are stellar. The 2008 Peterson Vignobles is great even by Peterson’s standards. I ordered more as soon as I tasted the first one and if y’all (yes, I was raised in the accursed

South) don’t buy it all before the next Club shipment in January I’m going to order more. This vintage is a keeper – it will taste great now and hold its own for years. I’m curious about the flavors it will develop over time so I marked each bottle in the cellar with the date I should drink it. Yah, a little anal, but I have learned a lot this way – what will age and improve and what will not.

Now, last and not least, Peterson’s Il Granaio – the Barn. I currently have the ’05, ’06, and ’08 vintages in my cellar. This is one I’ve been buying for years and it keeps getting better as Peterson experiments with and varies the blend. This used to be a Sangiovese and Cab/Merlot blend but they switched to Sangiovese and Rhone varietal blending in 2008. Both are Killer. The ’08 was a bit abrupt at first but has improved with bottle age already. The Rhone varietals in the blend should make it more approachable early, I suppose, but I’m ‘reserving’ (eww, bad pun) judgement until I’ve cellared it a while longer.

Peterson Makes Some of the Best Wines in my Cellar

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Jay Oliver

Peterson Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley

I buy Peterson wines from Locals year in and year out. I’ve been a member since April of 2003 when I stumbled across the tasting room with a former girlfriend. I joined the Nouveau Hicks that day. The lady is long gone, but Locals is still with me. Then I met the lady that is now my wife, so I brought her out to meet the Locals in 2006! She’s committed. Or maybe she should be!

Peterson makes some of the best wines in my cellar. Their Zinfandels, especially, just trip me out. I know wine is ‘supposed’ to be about food pairings, but some wines are soooo good that I just want to sip them by themselves, outdoors on the dark patio on a warm summer night so my senses are just flooded by the wine experience. Such is Peterson’s Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. It is a conciousness-expanding bath of fragrance and flavor. I could list all the wonderful things I smell and taste in this wine, but I won’t. That’s on you.

If that wasn’t enough, Peterson also makes a range of other Zinfandels – another of my favorites (new!) is their ‘Old School, No-thinkin Just drinkin’ Zin. The 2008 was a rich, flavorful cherry/tobacco over-achiever whose label bore one of the most hilarious clean jokes ever re-told. I just ordered the 2009 and I haven’t tried it yet (I live several hundred miles away in Denver and UPS beats the crap out of shipped wine, so I let it sit a while to recover itself before I taste it) but the joke isn’t as good so I expect the wine will be even better.

2009 Peterson Zinfandel: A Match for Your BBQ or Cellar

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Caitlin Crosbie Doonan

When I go for a Dry Creek Zinfandel, I’m prepared for spice and jam. Dry Creek has made a name for itself for turning out great, and often full, jammy Zinfandels. The typical style has a lot of dark berries and fruits and then the spices kick in on the finish. With this in my brain, on a cold November evening, I tried the Peterson Zinfandel. I should have read the label. Yes, it’s from Dry Creek, but NO this is not your typical Dry Creek Zin. The Peterson Zin is intended to be more of the Claret style. The body is lighter, the acidity is higher, and the wine leans more towards the earth and spice than the fruit, though there are definitely the usual dark berry notes there. The Peterson Zinfandel wine is absolutely a food wine. It will go really well with richer dishes that need something to cut through the fat. Shortribs would be my pick, or any slow-cooked, rich meat. I would stay away from pairing this with leaner meats, fish, or anything too delicate because the acidity and spice will kill it. On a nerdy wine geek note, if you’re looking for something to hold for a couple years, this would be an interesting choice. Yes, this wine is fine to drink now with your short ribs, but it will definitely be better with some age on it. So buy too bottles, and in two years, you’ll enjoy an even more balanced Claret!

About Caitlin

Caitlin is an oenophile and sommelier based on the East Coast (though in her mind, she splits her time between her imaginary vineyards in Sonoma and Bordeaux). Caitlin has had the pleasure to spend many years working in restaurants with some great wine lists, and learning from wonderful wine and food professionals. Above all, she has a great respect and love for a great pairing, the industry, the creators, and the grapes! Cheers!