Like all good Petites, this wine is big and brash. When paired with this dish, though, it reveals a hidden sophistication. Its long, evolving finish becomes especially noteworthy.

This spicy petite sirah is striking because of its range of flavors - blueberry, licorice and plum. The wine's snappy spice plays nice and doesn't overshadow the fruit. Lingering finish. Impressive.

Hint of oak, aromas and flavors of sweet black plums and espresso, full-bodied.

Tobacco, meat, and berry fruit lace the nose of this medium to full-bodied effort, Soft and engaging. Up to five years.

Lastly, the Proprietary Red Wine blend, the 2012 Proprietary Red Folly, which is a blend of 44% Zinfandel, 21% Syrah, 21% Petite Sirah and 14% Merlot, shows nice berry fruit and a somewhat Zinfandel character, even though it’s less than half Zinfandel. Good peppery, meaty, briary raspberry and sweet-and-sour cherry fruit. Drink it over the next 4-5 years.

This is a good blend that offers some great fruit--both black and red--and has crisp acidity. It's full-bodied with a kick of spice on the finish. Tasty.

This tasty red plays to both sides of the aisle with red and black fruit. Layered with herbs and spice. Nice backbone. Smooth finish. A rare find for the budget-minded.

Hint of oak, aromas and flavors of black plums and earth, big ripe tannins, full body.

Don't let the nearly 16 percent alcohol fool you (at 17 percent you start getting into ports and fortified wines), this full-bodied wine is rather elegant. The fresh herbal, black cherry aromas hint at the cool-weather growing conditions, while the flavors wow you with characteristic pepper and spice.

Killer juice! Red fruits, plums, citrus rind, blossoms, clove and more cascade through layers of exotic delights.

Killer juice! Red fruits, plums, citrus rind, blossoms, clove and more cascade through layers of exotic delights.

Eaglepoint has both a little petite Sirah and Syrah in the blend. It's a voluptuous wine with wild aromas of roses, mint, lavender and jammy blackberries, with tons of clean fruit flavors and good acid to keep it from being overwhelmingly fruity.

The Edmeades 1999 Zeni Vineyard Zinfandel, which comes from vines just under 100 years old, epitomizes everything that is best about Mendocino Ridge Zin.

dry, full-bodied, full tannin, medium acidity; One of the finest Zinfandels we have tasted in a long while.

Claret-like but the wine has the long finish of zinfandel. An enticing whiff of raspberry.

Tangy, with raspberry flavors and some oak. Good tannic structure.

Offers enough ripe berry and raspberry flavors to hold your interest, turning dry and austere.

…if you like these hedonistic, high alcohol and raisin-sweet zins, try it with an equally rich game preparation, such as roast venison in a zin and blackberry reduction.

…black fruits with a whiff of vanilla…full bodied with raspberry and cherry flavors…not overripe…

if you find an Edmeades zinfandel, take a gamble on it and you're likely to be rewarded. The '96 zin has the typically varietal briary nose; the concentration of dark fruit flavors are obvious, but it's not overdone nor overshadowed by high alcohol levels, as many zins are; subtle, almost elegant. Check out the single vineyard zins for a real treat.

This is a richly flavored spicy zin that has great balance and will age well for some years.

Claret-like but the wine has the long finish of a zinfandel. An enticing whiff of raspberry.

Its oaky aromas and mildly jammy flavors suggest vanilla and a bit of berry-pie sweetness…

Dark, concentrated and tangy, with lots of dark berry and cherry flavors, some tannin ad a long finish. A mouth-filling wine.