I have finally found a flaw with the wines from Lodi’s Peirano Estates. They aren’t $10. Otherwise, the winery’s efforts are everything that those of us who love cheap wine could want.
The latest example is the Red Shorts (about $12, purchased, available at Central Market) a red blend of four grapes. It’s mostly syrah, but there is also a bit of viognier, which gives the wine a surprising — and welcome — fresh, light character. But there is lots of fruit (boysenberry, which I don’t get to write too often) and somehow, the alcohol is only 13.8 percent. I say somehow because Lodi is notorious for hot weather, and warmer weather usually means higher alcohol. It is, as always from Peirano, an interesting wine that stands out from the gallons and gallons of similar wines on the market.
Serve this with gooey, deep dish pizza piled high with pepperoni. It’s probably not subtle enough for a holiday dinner, but if you need a bottle of wine to tide you over during the holidays, this will do quite nicely.