This impressive Syrah is a very good value at $18 in Talley’s tasting room in rural Arroyo Grande. It’s 100 percent Syrah with enticing aromas and flavors of black berries, plums and wild boysenberries weaved with earth, leather, smoke, and spice notes. It’s perfectly ripe, yet restrained in its forward fruit flavors. I crave this type of red with grilled steaks or lamb chops. Aged 24 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels, it is recommended by winemaker Leslie Mead for a dinner of New York steak, goat cheese salad with smoked nuts, and a dark chocolate dessert – now that’s what I call versatility. Buy one to enjoy now and a few more to stock. It will age gracefully over the next five to eight years.

You can reach New Times’ Cuisine columnist at [email protected]