Syrah from Calif

I really like the wines from Burrell School for the most part. They make an outstanding Zin and a good Merlot. I wanted to see what they could do with Syrah. I have to be frank-this wine is really tart. It isn't horrible, just off balance. It could have been really great but for some reason Burrell School made a really tart wine here. Even being a '12,-pretty much ready to drink , it kind of hits you with a real tart sensation in the middle of all the good fruit flavors. At $ 17.95 I would hope for better but we gave it 5 1/2 swiggs, not nearly what the Zin would have gotten. -From New Leaf market.

Blockbuster Syrah from Washington state

Here's what I call a seriously great Syrah. This is a really rich, full bodied big-ass killer red-exactly what I like in a new world Syrah. This Watermill Walla Walla valley Syrah 2010 is good now but will probably be fine in 5 years as well. We had it with a pasta and it was fine but it really shined when dessert came out. It was a great counterpoint to the chocolate. It is not a sweet wine like Zin , it just works with a variety of foods. This was from Shopper's corner and was reduced from $ 26.95 to $ 17.95. There's also a Merlot from the same winery I'll want to try soon.9 swiggs.

Summer reds roundup

 Being really busy it has been difficult for me to find the time to review all the wines we have-also, we are tending to drink some old favorites often so there's nothing new on the dinner table most of the time. Here are some notable recent wines for you to consider. This one above is the Wheelhouse Dry Creek zin. At  $9.95 it really is a steal and can be found at Shopper's corner. We gave this one 9 swiggs....exceptional for a wine at this price but it was originally around $ 27.00. Shopper's can and does come through with some terrific deals now and then.

 I like a good Rioja and here's one at $ 9.95 from Trader Joes. It's not a real heavy wine but is rich enough. it is a 'Reserva' from 2012 and is ready to drink now. We gave it 8 swiggs, very good for a wine in this price range. Not a blockbuster, but a real authentic Spanish wine at a good price.

 19 Crimes " The Banished". Sounds Australian because it is-definitely a loud and brash sledgehammer of fruit but buy is it good. This is also a $ 9.95 wine from Trader Joes. If you like really big flavor this is your drink. 7 1/2 swiggs.

 I'm not sure where this Secret Cellars is sold or what the price is as it was a gift but I do recommend it. It is a classic Paso Robles deeply colored Cabernet that won't disappoint. We gave it 8 1/2 swiggs.

La Paca 2013 Garnacha is a good mid week wine , almost like a Cote Du Rhone but not quite as dry-maybe tasting a little more like a new world version of Grenache. This is well under $ 10.00 at Trader joes and scores a solid 7 swiggs.This is a really good food wine in that it won't overpower the meal.