10 cheap wines that will fool your friends into thinking you bought an expensive bottle One of the signature red grapes of the California wine country, Zinfandel produces a relatively light-bodied wine with dark fruit flavors, a vibrant deep-red hue, and relatively-high tannins (compounds inside grape skins that add structure and complexity to wine). California Zins can cost a pretty penny, but it's definitely possible to find a tasty bottle for under $20. Reed Robertson, the general manager of Shearwater Tavern in Maui, has an emotional attachment to Edmeades Mendocino Zinfandel, a fruit-forward red with cinnamon and clove notes from the Northern California coast. "When I think of wines that I personally love, it's usually because they're not only delicious, but they remind me of great times. Edmeades Zinfandel is the very definition of that for me. It's what my friends and I would drink after work at our group table [when we were] coming up in the restaurant industry. I remember that the restaurant I worked at at the time was going to switch over to a different Zinfandel, and all the servers bought the remaining bottles [of Edmeades] and kept them in our lockers so that we could continue to have them at our after-work family meals. Sharing a great wine was what it was all about!" Robertson explained.

Out of the ordinary wines for Father's Day Forward fruit and attractive complexity on the nose presage similar characters on the palate and are joined by tannins that call for pairing with burgers, brats, barbecue and much more.

This is a good-time wine that's superrich and fruity. It's easy to drink and enjoy, uncomplicated and jammy in flavor and soft in texture.

Hint of oak, aromas and flavors of red raspberries and spice, ripe tannin, medium body.

A layered zinfandel with notes of blackberry, cherry, black pepper and cedar. This zin is savory and spicy, with the kick of petite sirah in the mix. A good pick for the budget minded.

An approachable zin with notes of blackberry, cherry, black pepper and cedar. This zin is both savory and spicy, with a kick of petite sirah in the mix. A good pick for the budget-minded.

Texture is the stand-out quality of our Wine of the Week, Edmeades 2013 Mendocino County Zinfandel. It spreads across the palate like silk velvet, all lush and smooth. Tannic roughness doesn’t show up until the wine teases the sides of your tongue, by which time you are paying attention to other attributes that range from black pepper, cedar and Bing cherry to licorice root, allspice and black topsoil. The wine is fully savory, without the suggestion of sweetness that some bone-dry zinfandels show.

Winemaker Ben Salazar adds some Petite Sirah and Syrah to give this racy, berry-driven Zin its oomph.

We’ve enjoyed the well-crafted zinfandels from Mendocino County's Edmeades winery over many years. Two recent offering we found particularly tasty. The Edmeades Zinfandel Mendocino County 2013 is a classy zinfandel displaying cherry, raspberry notes in the nose and flavors with a hint of chocolate in the finish. Rich and round, well balanced and ready to drink. Very enticing.

2013 Edmeades Zinfandel, Perli Vineyards, Mendocino Ridge, 15.5 percent alcohol (97 percent zinfandel, 3 percent syrah): deep purple hue, hint of oak, aromas and flavors of black plums and black coffee, mellow tannins, long, smooth finish.

Aromas and flavors of black raspberries, tangerines and herbs, hearty and rich, long, fruity finish.

2013 Edmeades Zinfandel, Gianoli Ranch, Mendocino Ridge, 15.5 percent alcohol (100 percent zinfandel): deep, dark purple hue, aromas and flavors of black raspberries, black pepper and other spices, big, ripe tannins, full body, long, smooth finish.

We’ve enjoyed the well-crafted zinfandels from Mendocino County's Edmeades winery over many years. Two recent offering we found particularly tasty. The Edmeades Zinfandel Mendocino Ridge Gianoli Vineyard 2013 is a throw back to the big mouth-filling zins of the 1980s and 1990s when bigger was better and alcohol levels soared. Intense raspberry and blackberry fruit nose and flavors with spicy elements that complement the fruit. Although this wine sports 15.5 percent alcohol, the total package is in balance and works. A real beauty!

The biggest cuvée they produce is their least expensive wine, their 2012 Zinfandel Mendocino, which comes from at least six Zinfandel vineyards and is a blend of 87% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah and the rest Syrah, aged nine months in about 15% new oak. It is medium ruby and shows elegant raspberry and cranberry-like fruit, briary herbs and lots of spice in a medium-bodied, easygoing, straightforward style. Drink it over the next several years.

Zinfandel is a great wine to serve with hamburgers, pulled pork and anything with a ketchup-based sauce. The Edmeades is a reliable producer and this year's zinfandel is loaded with blackberries, chocolate and cherry cola flavors.

Aromas and flavors of red raspberries and spice, rich and hearty, soft tannins.

From another high-elevation site, the 2012 Zinfandel Perli Vineyard shows good acidity, medium body and represents an intriguing blend of 81% Zinfandel, 16% Merlot and the rest Syrah, aged in 25% new oak. This wine shows almost Pinot Noir-like berry fruit, earth, herbs and spice. It should be consumed over the next several years.

It's so terrific when wood is so well integrated into a red wine that, though its aroma is upfront on first snort, it's also become part of the wine so that it doesn't call unneeded attention to itself and distract from what else is there: buckets of bright red fruit (raspberry and cherry especially), with subtle notes of brown cooking spice and black pepper. America's new zinfandels are killer delicious, like this one. Gimme deep-dish or anything with tomatoes in it or on it.

Our favorite of the Edmeades was 81 percent zinfandel, 16 percent merlot, and 3 percent syrah. It has a very intense sweet and round berry fruit, with some nice spice notes.

Nestled in Mendocino County's Anderson Valley, this labels focus is squarely on zinfandel; they released six earlier this year. A trend emerges from their refreshingly natural and hands-on approach: all these wines have balance, a supple texture and solid integration. But my favorite is from Piffero Vineyard, where grapes struggle in tough, rocky red soil to produce powerful flavors. This wine is rich and jammy, yet velvety, and delicious red berry flavors are enhanced by spice rack touches.

Aromas and flavors of sweet black cherries and spice, smooth, long finish.

It is very soft and round and pleasant to drink with 1 percent syrah added to the blend.

Deep red hue, aromas and flavors of black plums and herbs, rich and hearty, soft tannins.

The 2012 Zinfandel Shamrock Vineyard, which is 84% Zinfandel and 16% Syrah from a very high vineyard at 2,800 feet, is aged 15 months in 15% new oak. It shows red currants, pomegranate and raspberry in a red-fruit oriented style. It is medium-bodied with crisp, tart acids and a heady finish. Drink it over the next several years.