< Tasting Notes

Wines for Strolling Among the Autumn Leaves
- October 2025

Orange & Red. Red & Orange. We humbly submit October wines to match your front yard. And as the fall breeze comes in, mucking up your raking, let these lovely bottles warm your soul and keep you smiling!

(**NOTE - Links are embedded in each winemaker’s names to direct you to their respective websites. Know thy vintner!**)

KLET BRDA ‘Krasno’ Orange 2022 * Goriška Brda, Slovenia
Klet Brda is a large cooperative, bringing together roughly 400 growers under one roof, and its ‘Krasno’ line expresses the collective ambition of the Brda region. Oenologist Darinko Riboliča leads the project, pushing for authenticity and minimal intervention. The cooperative emphasizes sustainable and nature-conscious practices, with a commitment to capturing the identity of the Goriška Brda hills. The communal nature of the project means a chorus of voices, but with the unified goal to create a wine that balances bold skin contact flavors with finesse and elegance.

‘Krasno’ is a structural orange wine, designed to age and evolve. Each variety is prepared with a tailored maceration: the Ribolla is macerated for a full 10 months(!) in oak containers for deep extraction. The Malvasia and Sauvignonasse are macerated for a few weeks in amphorae or stainless to preserve freshness. After their individual élevage phases, the wines are blended to achieve harmony in their structural tension and aromatic composition. Because of its extended maceration nature, ‘Krasno’ is richer, gently tannic, and built to age 5–10 years, softening and integrating over time.

NERD ALERT - Maceration! - We in the wine industry throw this term around a lot. And assume that it’s meaning is abundantly clear! So, let’s chat for a sec about it.

Maceration is the step of the wine making process where grape skins are left to soak in the juice to extract color, flavor, and tannins. This soaking period is crucial for red wines, as their pulp is colorless, requiring skin contact to develop red hues. The process can be done before fermentation (cold soak), during fermentation, after fermentation (extended maceration), or as a special type called carbonic maceration which involves fermenting whole, unbroken grapes in a carbon dioxide-filled tank. 

Grape(s) - 40% Ribolla Gialla, 30% Malvasia, and 30% Sauvignonasse.

Flavors - Copper-amber in hue, the nose opens with quince, baked pear, dried apricot, counterbalanced by thyme, chalk, and a subtle almond skin bitterness. On the palate, the wine offers citrus peel, almond skin tannins, a saline-mineral backbone, and gentle bitterness that frames the fruit in tension. The finish lingers with herbal lift and stone dust texture.

Serving - Pair this beauty with spicy grilled chicken, roasted root vegetables, or even richer fish dishes like branzino with herbs. Or just crack this bad boy as the autumn sun is setting as an aperitif before the evening chill sets in.

Album Pairing - DAVID BOWIE – ‘Heroes’ - 1977 * Ambient and art-rock textures collide with melody and edge. the fractured soundscapes and crystalline moments align beautifully with Krasno’s balance of skin, sun, and structure. ‘Heroes’ unfolds in layers. so does this wine. listen as it opens, sip as it evolves. Reflect one moment, be swept away the next.

STIRM Cabernet Pfeffer 2021 * Cienega Valley, California
Ryan Stirm is an experimental guardian of California’s forgotten varietals. His dedication to Cabernet Pfeffer (believed to be close to the Bordeaux ancient variety Mourtaou) is nearly singular. The approach to farming is minimal: dry, organic, low intervention. This growing site, with limestone and river-deposit soils, give the wines crystalline lift and minerality. Stirm’s cellar approach is even more discreet: native ferments, neutral vessels, and patience. Stirm respects vineyard narratives far more than heavy-handed stylistic branding.

This here is Cabernet Pfeffer in refined form. It is expressive, lean, and loaded with nuance rather than power. For his Pfeffers, Stirm ferments the must for 15 days in redwood fermenters with about two thirds whole cluster, all native yeasts, and daily gentle pump-overs. The wine ages for nearly 10 months on lees in neutral barrels and is racked for a month before being bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with low sulfur (~29 ppm). With limited production to boot. Only 260 cases were made.

NERD ALERT!! - Cabernet Pfeffer?? - As of 2023, there are roughly 22 acres of Cabernet Pfeffer in the world, distributed across 6 vineyards in California. But what is it?? The name William Pfeffer is synonymous with the Cabernet Pfeffer grape – and not just because Pfeffer’s last name happens to mean ‘pepper’ in German. Theories abound as to whether the grape is named after its famous cultivator, or if the name comes from its peppery flavor profile.

What we think we know about the history of this grape in California is that in the late 1800s, after William Pfeffer discovered the distinct red fruit characteristics of the Mourtaou grape, he planted it in his Lincoln District Vineyard in Saratoga (which is part of California’s Santa Clara Valley AVA). This helped popularize the variety within the region. It remains unclear who imported the original cuttings from France.

But one thing is clear: according to UC Davis, who conducted DNA testing on the grape. Cabernet Pfeffer is Mourtaou. Or is it?

Perhaps it’s William Pfeffer’s own splicing of Cabernet Sauvignon and Trousseau?

Perhaps nothing is clear; except that Cabernet Pfeffer is surprising, rare, and delicious!

Grape(s) - 100% Cabernet Pfeffer

Flavors - Light garnet and slightly hazy, with aromas of wild strawberry, cranberry, wet clay, and peppercorns. The palate is precise and zippy—cherry, red currant, herbal lift, chalky minerality, and a peppery snap carried by fine tannins and a saline backnote.

Serving - Serve slightly chilled alongside lamb kofta, grilled mushrooms, or peppered steak salad. Perfect for laying back on the couch, with records spinning into the night.

** AUDIOPHILE LP OF THE MONTH CLUB VINYL**

Album Pairing - PAVEMENT – ‘Quarantine the Past’ - 2010 * Jangly, ironic, and textured; the songs of Pavement perfectly echo the curiosities surrounding the late William Pfeffer and the current obsessions of Ryan Stirm. Pavement’s tangy guitar lines, lyrical detours, and emotional grit mirror the wine’s peppered fruit, mineral bite, and red-clay roots. Both the wine and the album celebrate their own unique quirks and find beauty in their loose edges.

ALTOS DE MONTÁNCHEZ ‘Vegas Altas’ Orange 2022 * Extremadura, Spain
Juan Sojo and Ángel Luis González co-founded Altos de Montánchez to shine a light on Extremadura’s vinous potential. Their Vegas Altas line is crafted to explore bold, experimental expressions of often obscure local grapes. They farm organically using biodynamic principles, intervene lightly, and harvest intentionally to maintain energy. Their vision is regional revival: letting Extremadura’s local varieties breathe and surprise and sharing the region with the rest of the world.

For ‘Vegas Altas’, the grapes undergo a full month of maceration (see above for nerd alert!), ferment in concrete with indigenous yeasts, and age approximately 3 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. The result is a wine soft in structure but lively in energy, capturing Extremadura’s altitude, clay soils, and intense sunlight. Thoughtful, expressive, and beautifully balanced between richness and refreshing clarity, this wine is sure to whisk you away to visions of sunny Iberian afternoons.

NERD ALERT - Where on earth is Extremadura?? - Landlocked and bordering Portugal in western Spain, Extremadura is a remote area of mountains, forests, lakes and arid, hot as hell summers. Grapes love it there!

Grape(s) - Cayetana and Pardina (of undisclosed percentages)

Flavors - Amber in hue, a nose of orange blossom, chamomile, white peach, and warm spice emerges. On the palate, a zippy acidity and smooth texture are highlighted by soft tannins, saline lift, and a breezy, refreshing finish.

Serving - Pair this sunny vino with with saffron rice, grilled branzino, or fig-and-squash flatbreads. For us in Seattle, this wine it best enjoyed when you need to pretend the sun is shining. Because it tastes a lot like bottled vitamin D. Open it and imagine a desert breeze as the rain splashes outside your window.

Album Pairing - BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB – ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ - 1997 * Warm, soulful, rhythmic; this Cuban classic lifts through its melody, pairing beautifully with our orange wine’s expression of sun, heart, and texture. The album is supremely approachable but resonant. just like Vegas Altas!

UPSIDEDOWN ‘The Gold Drop’ Field Blend 2021 * Yakima Valley, Washington
CLUB EXCLUSIVE!! We told you we love this winery. And we weren’t lying! We would never lie about something like that! Seth Kitzke, founder of Upsidedown Wine, approaches each release as an experiment in voice and restraint. The Gold Drop series often a club-first, always site-anchored, and ever minimalist. Kitzke farms with SLOW principles, ferments natively, and avoids manipulations. His goal: wines that feel like arguments between earth, climate, and fruit..

This wine is a pure vineyard portrait. Mixed plantings are harvested and fermented together. Native yeasts, minimal manipulation, and aging in neutral vessels ensure a strong, expressive clarity of terroir. The Dead Poplar Vineyard’s soils are sandy, loamy, with ancient river deposits, creating wines that are clean in texture but deep in aromatic complexity. The wine is built to show finesse, not force. And we are so excited to share with you, as production is incredibly limited and highly allocated by the winery!

Grape(s) - 59% Mourvèdre, 28% Grenache, 12% Syrah, 1% Roussanne

Flavors - Crushed red plum, raspberry, dusty earth, wild herbs, tobacco leaf, and a touch of orange peel. The palate flows with sleek tannins, stony minerality, focused red fruit, and a savory lift that carries through the finish.

Serving - Duck breast with roasted cherries, short ribs braised in herbs, or wild mushroom risotto. Just open this stunner of a bottle whenever you want to impress a guest with its powerful restraint. Or by yourself, if you don’t want to share it at all!

Album Pairing - A TRIBE CALLED QUEST – ‘The Low End Theory’ - 1991 * Laid-back, bass-heavy, and intellectual in its flow, The Low End Theory is the perfect parallel for this wine’s grounded grace and textural groove. The album redefined hip-hop through restraint and this wine does the same for Washington reds. Its Grenache brightness plays the part of Q-Tip’s easy cadence; Mourvèdre brings that Ali Shaheed bass weight; Syrah adds smoke and depth, like the fire under Phife Dawg’s punchlines. Everything in this pairing is somehow forever fresh and yet simultaneously timeless.

REMINDERS

• To celebrate our valued club members we offer 20% off all food ordered on the day you pick-up. 

• If you can not pick up on the pick up dates please contact mckay@barmiriam.com and we will hold your allotment offsite and can arrange for a future pick up.

• Email mckay@barmiriam.com to buy more single bottles or a case with special club pricing.

• Queen Anne Bottle Shop is open Tuesday-Saturday from 3:00pm — 8:00pm.

• Wine pairs best with friends. Tell your friends.