Fratelli Perata was established in 1987 by the Perata brothers, Gino and Joe. We use only the grapes of our vineyards which were planted in 1980. these are hand - made wines, total production  just 2,000 cases yearly. We believe low tonnage, small  grape berries  combined with new oak barrels produce big, complex wines suitable for aging, yet  drinkable in their youth, due to soft Paso Robles tannins. Unfined and unfiltered.

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• Tech Sheets. We have full notes on selected wines in .pdf format for easy printing. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view. Click on the Tech button.

• Tech Sheets for older vintages are available in our Tech Sheet Archive.

Wines We Produce

For a small family winery, we produce a number of wines, many of which come and go quickly throughout the year. Check our order form for what is currently in stock. Here's some of what we make:

• 2012 Bambino Grande
• 2013 Bambino Grande
• 2012 Barbera
• 2013 Barbera
• 2013 Bel Bruzzo
• 2014 Bel Bruzzo
• 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Riserva
• 2012 Cab Franc
• 2013 Cab Franc
• 2014 Cab Franc
• 2012 Charbono
• 2013 Charbono
• 2014 Charbono
• 2012 Mafalda
• 2013 Mafalda
• 2013 Merlot
• 2014 Merlot
• 2012 Petit Verdot
• 2013 Petit Verdot
• 2013 Petite Sirah
• 2012 Sangiovese
• 2012 Tre Sorelle
  
• 2014 Zinfandel

This page contains our current notes in "web" format. You can also get extended notes in a .pdf printable version of the notes by clicking on the "tech" button.

2012 Bambino Grande

Bambino was the given name of Gino’s maternal grandfather. He was from Abruzzi, in central Italy. His philosophy on life was that it was a gift and we should enjoy it as much as we can. This wine was based on this philosophy; one that could be drunk young with food and friends but also would stand the test of time and still be enjoyable years down the line. Our Bambino Grande is based on Sangiovese, but following Bambino’s way, you shouldn’t get hung up on the rest of the blend. The wine pairs wonderfully with food, especially pastas due to the influence of the Sangiovese, but is also great with just good conversation. We think it is one of the best Super-Tuscans available anywhere particularly this drought year 2012 vintage. Pair it with the simple Pork Chops with Himalayan Salt.

2013 Bambino Grande

Announcing the arrival of a real super Super-Tuscan style blend. This baby is indeed big. It inherits all the best that drought-stressed vines have to offer, without any of the drawbacks of a prolonged drought. Timing is everything, as this 2013 vintage proves. This is superb. Since this is a Sangiovesedriven blend, it becomes very approachable even now, yet is very complex.

This vintage highlights the warm, dry-weather traits of Sangiovese. The driving flavors are definitely the fruits, strawberry and cherry primarily. The warm weather also produced lots of tannin and lower acidity. While the cooler-weather traits like lavender and the zing of acidity are still present, they aremuch more muted in this vintage.

Bambino, our maternal grandfather, would not want you to ponder how wonderfully complex his namesake wine is, nor spend too much time rhapsodizing over it. We agree that in some ways you should just go ahead and drink it. But to hold onto it for as long as you can (well, maybe not forever, like some people we know) would certainly make this wine a proud showpiece at any function. Like any doting parent, we love to show off this wine. Especially if paired with good friends and Chicken
Pesto with Veggies.

2012 Barbera

The reasons for this wine at this winery are mainly twofold: our Italian heritage comes from near Piemonte, the Italian Barbera producing region; and Gino and Carol loved Louis Martini Mountain Barbera in the early 1970’s. We planted a small number of vines here just for us. Cathy, clever daughter, said it was great and we should make enough for everyone. Our first, very small, vintage was 2005. Soon our secret stash became a public and winery favorite. Since then, we have found more and more ways to enjoy this wine. When young, the high acidity in the wine loves high acid foods like spaghetti and lasagna. With a couple years of age on it, any rich food will do, from steak to pasta to pizza. Or for those with lots of patience, let it reach ten years and it doesn’t need anything but your full attention. The high acid and tannin of a young Barbera mean that it ages beautifully and if you can, follow our example and have a nine year old Barbera with homemade spinach and beef ravioli at Christmas time. If you can’t wait that long, try, also from Piemonte, a guanciale and chestnut stuffing, as in Green Cheese and Guanciale Chicken Thighs. This 2012 vintage will find you opening a bottle soon and often. Very mouth filling, it needs some respect, but, whew, it is good.

2013 Barbera

We have this variety in our vineyard because we love it, and it produces wines reminiscent of our family’s wines in Italy. It is the most widely planted grape variety in Piemonte. The Perata family came to the US from the border of Piemonte and Liguria, so we have a historical family connection to Barbera. It was a “family” planting in our vineyard, in 1980: just enough for a few gallons for us, not to sell at the winery. Our children, however, were also quite taken by this food friendly wine. They insisted we plant enough vines to let everyone become familiar with it. Of course, we acquiesced. As a wine, it is quite sensitive to its vineyard. Barbera was long used as just a “filler” wine, grown in California’s Central Valley. There the evening temperatures were comparatively high. The resulting wine didn’t maintain the wine’s characteristic acidity, but had good color. Most of those wines were blended with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay and put in jugs. Here, with warm days that spike high at 2 PM, then drop like a rock down to 50 degrees by 5 AM, Barbera grapes get ripe, butstill maintain their acidity. The result is a balanced wine, with finesse and great ageability.

This Barbera is a child of the drought: rich fruit, great color as usual, still with enough acid for aging. Since 2013 was only the second year of low rainfall, our production is pleasantly sufficient to supply most of us. Enjoy this early on with a picnic including Pepperoni Bread.

2013 Bel Bruzzo

Since our first release of this varietal, the 2005 vintage, we have come to enjoy this Montepulciano grape as an easy drinking, carefree wine. The 2013 summer was warmer than average and rainfall was less than average, making the vines work extra hard. The berries were smaller and fewer than normal resulting in a more tannic and fruitier wine. The rich black cherry and hints of spiciness make this a bold wine while the lower acidity makes it great now, especially with foods like salami and Italian Sausage. With a cherry sauce, ecco!, it’s great with our Shredded Beef Sandwich.

100% Montepulciano, originally from the Abruzzo region of Italy, now grown on our property here in Paso Robles. Mama Perata’s family originally emigrated from the area, so this wine is close to our hearts. We love the smooth tannins and the low acidity which make this wine great for immediate drinking. We also love the spiciness and since Mama Perata liked to make her spaghetti with hot Italian sausage, this is the perfect pairing. Or if you feel like making something more adventurous, try Bacon Jam.

 .pdf printable extended Notes for the current vintage ("Tech Sheet")

2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

Here is the first Cabernet Sauvignon from the Great Drought years. The 2012 vintage benefited from some wet and cool weather of 2011, when the vine’s next year’s growth was formed. Our healthy vines didn’t get much rainfall, leaving the clusters small and increasing the wine’s intensity. From these big flavors we chose what we consider our “drinking” Cabernet. Gino, the winemaker, and daughter Cathy, the assistant winemaker, tasted through all the Cabernet Sauvignon barrels produced for the vintage. They selected the softest, fruitiest, and most drinkable to blend together and release as our drinking Cabernet. Even though this is an easier drinking Cabernet compared to the Cabernet Sauvignon Riserva (our best Cab), it still needs a little age. This vintage has good body and tannin so aging might be best. If you only have room in your cellar for the Riserva, then drink this Cabernet now with salty or fatty foods that can stand up to the tannins. In & Out Burgers work great if you don’t feel like cooking. If you’re up for making something fun and wonderfully satisfying, try Roasted Potatoes Perfected. You hardly need the meat entrée, as long as you have a glass of Cabernet.

2013 Cabernet Sauvignon

The growing season of the 2013 vintage was not an unusual one for us; we’d seen this type of year before. Very little rain, then an early warm up followed by a very hot summer. This led to an earlier than usual harvest (almost but not quite a record for us). The wines coming fresh out of the press, especially the Cabernets, were heavy and tannic with lower acidities. Again, not unusual, they justneed to age.

Fast forward to spring of 2016. As per our release “schedule,” this 2013 “easy drinking” Cab Sauv should have been released in the Spring 2016 allocation, but we knew it wasn’t going to be ready to drink then, so we decided to wait for Fall 2016. To prepare to bottle this Cab, we pull a sample from each barrel and taste them. For the everyday Cab we look for fruity, silky barrels. Surprise, surprise, there aren’t any, even six months after our normal release time! Each barrel is big and intense with rich flavors and very dry tannin. There weren’t any that matched what we were looking for! So Gino and Cathy picked the barrels that were easiest to drink and bottled them, hoping that in September the wine would be ready. Well, it wasn’t, so here we are, a year later than normal and this wine is still tannic, but oh, so greatly rounded with fruit that it envelopes your senses. So, you know, age it or open it early (8 hours early!) and pair it with our Spicy Thai Noodle.

Cabernet Sauvignon is an amazing variety. If you plant them in a good area (like Paso) and take care of your vines properly, they will take care of themselves. If there was a lot of rain, the vines will set more clusters and the berries will stay small. If there isn’t any rain, then the vine will set fewer clusters and the berries will be a little smaller. We rarely have to drop fruit on the Cab vines. 2012 was an interesting year; 2010 and 2011 were both above average rainfall and even though 2012 rainfall was well below average, the vines were healthy and vigorous. This resulted in excellent, rich fruit flavors, good but not overwhelming tannin, and moderate acidity. All of the Cab we made in 2012 was delicious, but the Riserva is the best of the best. We taste each barrel and use only the most complex and age-worthy for the Riserva. We specifically design this wine for aging. Now don’t let that scare you if you don’t have the patience to age wine. Just let the wine breathe, either by uncorking and recorking at least 8 hours before drinking or decanting or aerating. Give it some air and Cathy thinks it is delicious now, just have the Chocolate Truffles ready.

2012 Cab Franc

We bottle and release Cabernet Franc relatively early. It has a good punch of French oak and seems to benefit more from aging in the bottle than in the barrel. It provides classic French blends with smoke, earth, tannin and a background of cherry flavor. When new in the bottle, it is light-bodied. Tannins become silk with age and the wine develops a wonderfully full mouthfeel. This 2012 vintage benefits from a classic growing season. Warm weather and the first year of the drought, the vines were somewhat stressed, yet strong enough to put forth this burst of fruit. This wine is unique in showcasing different attributes at different bottle ages. Right now, while it is at its most adolescent stage, we loved it with Spicy Steak Tacos.

2013 Cab Franc

We bottle and release Cabernet Franc relatively early. It has a good punch of French oak and seems to benefit more from aging in the bottle than in the barrel. It provides classic French blends with smoke, earth, tannin and a background of cherry flavor. When new in the bottle, it is light-bodied. Tannins become silk with age and the wine develops a wonderfully full mouthfeel. This 2012 vintage benefits from a classic growing season. Warm weather and the first year of the drought, the vines were somewhat stressed, yet strong enough to put forth this burst of fruit. This wine is unique in showcasing different attributes at different bottle ages. Right now, while it is at its most adolescent stage, we loved it with Spicy Steak Tacos.

2014 Cab Franc

Our normally easy going Cabernet Franc vines decided in 2014 that they had been deprived of water for too long. The vines set a rather small crop and in July we thinned that crop even further to try to appease these fussy vines. The result was a very rich, fruity wine with big body and good tannin but not quite as much earthiness as usual. Maybe it’s okay the vines were fussy when they give us such good grapes as a result. The only drawback is there is barely any of this delicious wine. So drink up and enjoy it while you can, it won’t be around for long. It will need a little something to tame the fruit, so pair it with Smoky Chicken Soup.

2012 Charbono

For those of you paying really close attention you’ll notice that the Charbono has moved from the Fall Wine Club Allocation to the Spring Allocation. Charbono is our newest variety and we try to improve each vintage. We have found that it needs more age than we originally thought, so now after five releases, we decided to bottle age it the extra six months it seems to really need. As of release, it is still young, with bright plum fruit and earthy tannins. Give it another year and it will be beautifully mellowed but still have plenty of kick. Give it another five years and it will be as silky and soft as velvet. Try it now with earthy dishes like pesto or seafoodlike Salmon Bisque. Even while young, this wine does not disappoint.

2013 Charbono

Thank you Inglenook, when you were still under the spell of Captain Niebaum who founded you, for when you still produced exceptional Charbono. This was a favorite of Carol’s since the early 1970’s because it has lots of flavor and pairs flawlessly with her new mother-in-law’s fantastic Italian cooking. When a corporate buyer changed that winery and started box wines, Inglenook Charbono was no more. So we had to make it ourselves. This has the same profile of fruit and new French oak attributes as the 2012, but at release has more tannin. The alcohol is again under 13%, so you can indulge in the flavors without suffering later. As usual, it pairs well with garlic and fish, as in Shrimp and Sausage Cioppino. 

2014 Charbono

Again with the fruit! As we progressed deeper into the drought, this accessible, great with garlic, drink the whole bottle-style of wine finally slipped over 13% alcohol. With other grape varieties, a bump of alcohol in wine usually forebodes the dreaded pruney/raisiny portions of an aroma wheel. Not to fear with Charbono, though. The weather bumped up the fruit, so we reduced the percentage of new French oak barrels to showcase the unique flavors of this Italian variety. It reminds us of strolling through orchards in Italy, with figs, plums and cherry romancing our senses. Bring on the soft breezes, warm sun, a simple picnic on a hillside. Or you might roundup all the family for a SophiaLoren movie and a dinner of Roasted Chicken with Garlic Gravy.

2012 Mafalda

First created in 2003 in honor of Gino’s mother, Mafalda, we continue to produce this wine to perfection. It has earthiness from the Cabernet Franc, fruit from the Merlot, and a certain depth from the Petit Verdot, that makes this wine superb. This wine was created to pair with her style of cooking and eating, good food and good company. This wine is an approachable and nuanced wine for all the mushroom lovers out there. Originally made to pair with Mafalda’s porcini risotto, we find it pairsnicely with the Hangover Helper.

2013 Mafalda

Named and blended in honor of Gino’s mother, this wine is a reflection of our dear Mafalda. Mafalda liked to drink her wines, not age them, so we do our best to make this blend easy to drink. She didn’t usually drink wine by itself; she almost always had food to go with it. Her favorite dishes always included mushrooms, usually porcini. 2013 didn’t fully cooperate on the easy drinking part for this wine. We picked the earthiest and smoothest Cab Franc barrels we made, but there is still a lot of tannin in this vintage. Have something rich andmushroomy and you won’t notice the tannin! Our suggestion is Mushroom and Focaccia Stuffing.

To know me is to love me. Never more true than with our Merlot. This variety was the source of our gold medals all through the 1990’s. Heavier and more complex than most Merlots, it compares favorably with the gold standard of the best of Bordeaux Merlots. The 2013 vintage is exceptional even by our standards. The hot, dry season forced the vines to work very hard which reduced yields because the berries were so small. These tiny berries gave the wine excellent flavors but lots and lots of tannin. Unfortunately right now the tannin is center stage and the fruity flavors are still waiting in the wings. This wine would be best if given time for the tannins to take a bow and let the fruity flavors take over the show. Let this age, then pair with your best I-think-a-Cab-would-be-good-with-this dinner. Right now, have a slice of Ricotta Orange Pound Cake with Strawberries and a sip of espresso. The strawberries will make you start thinking of the Merlot, the ricotta will tell you Italy is waiting; the satisfied feeling when you’re done will make it easier to wait for the Merlot to age.

Has this variety become the Rodney Dangerfield of wines? No respect? Sometimes it seems like it, but we think not. Our Merlot is not simple, silly, easily dismissed, nor easily forgotten. So we should give it a fanciful name like “Big Daddy” and it would be given the respect that it deserves. Then some people who say they don’t like Merlot would happily drink this Merlot. Luckily, our full-bodied Merlots have always had their following. We haven’t had to do much arm twisting to make the vintagesdisappear. And with this tiny vintage, it will disappear way too fast for us.

This latest vintage is a definite “open at breakfast, drink at dinner” wine that needs decanting. It will always be rich and lush. There is a huge range of flavors that need time to integrate, like any special occasion wine. Have some respect, let it age. It has a lot to enchant your senses. We declare that you will not be able to forget this wine. Here is our latest, maybe greatest, Merlot. Make the Asparagus Salad a few times, until you perfect it to your taste. Then you might open a bottle of Merlotto pair with it.

A varietal originally from Bordeaux and now lovingly cared for in our vineyard here since 2003, we bring you Petit Verdot. Originally planted to be blended with our other Bordeaux wines, we find it suited to be shown on its own. For those who enjoy a big heavy wine, here is a dark wine, with low acidity and plenty of tannins. From this small harvest we have blueberry flavors predominating over cherry and earth elements. It is a heavier wine, but almost sweet to your senses. Pair this wine with a fresh Berry Tart to pull all out of the berry elements. Marvel in the full-bodied nature of this wine as you enjoy the smooth richness of the mascarpone of the tart. Remember, this is another of thedrought year vintages, so while not a cloying wine, it demands some extra aging.

In France, this variety is considered a blending grape, not worthy to stand alone. Here in California, we do things a little differently. While Petit Verdot can be a tough grape to get to know, once you’ve gotten to be good friends, life is just a little more exciting. Petit Verdot is the tannin king. Its job is to have richer, darker color and more tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon. This does make it a little harsh when young, especially in 2013, when the berries were particularly small and the resulting wines very heavy. Give this wine some space in your cellar and you will be greatly rewarded down the line. For those of us who just can’t wait, open it before you sit down to breakfast and then let it breathe until the Pumpkin Curry Broccoli Salad is ready for dinner. Then pair the twoand see how friendly Petit Verdot can be!

Petite Sirah is technically a Rhone variety since it is the offspring of Syrah and another Rhone variety, but here in California, we think of it as Zinfandel’s big brother. Petite Sirah has the raspberry and spiciness just like the Zinfandel, but is much bigger in body and higher in tannin. So for those who love the flavor of Zin but need more umph to their wine, Petite Sirah is a great choice. 2013 was a warm, dry year, so this Petite Sirah has rich fruity flavors and hints of spiciness but the big component is tannin. This vintage is big and heavy so it really needs some time for the tannin to soften, or rich flavorful food now to mellow it out. Try our Flank Steak recipe; it is packed with flavor to make the Petite Sirah go down easy.

Back in 2009 we finally admitted we needed to plant more Sangiovese. So we ordered new, baby Sangiovese vines with special rootstock that could handle our poor soil and no water. We planted these in January of 2010 and then trained and cared for them to make sure they were healthy. 2012 was their first year of production, so we had a significant increase in production. We decided that with the extra wine we could make a special bottling, reserved only for our wine club. We selected the very best barrels and set them aside to be bottled separately. The remainder we split between the Bambino Grande (a Super Tuscan blend) and our “regular” Sangiovese. Both the regular and special selection Sangiovese are big and rich, with excellent fruit. Both will age a very long time but if you have both, we would suggest drinking the regular first and aging the specialselection. Enjoy with Tuscan Bean Dip.

Named for Gino’s three daughters, we have been making this blend since 1997, when the girls convinced their Papa that since they did all the work, they deserved a wine named for them! Gino chose to blend together three Bordeaux varieties that are very closely related, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. This vintage is particularly good, with robust tannin, bright fruit and good acidity. Ready to drink now with rich foods flavored with Mushroom Powder.

We present to you our 2014 Zinfandel. Picked from our head pruned vines, this vintage the draught encouraged the development of those deep fruity nuances and notes of cinnamon and cloves that we love in the Zins. But the draught also created a huge Zin that can rival any red; don’t dare think typical California Zin here. It can use some time to simmer down. Enjoy this Zin now with Chocolate Short Ribs or in 2019 with a good brownie.