This month I’m writing about two more great deals for your outdoor dining pleasure: a full-bodied syrah rosé and a punchy syrah-based red. The rosé comes from the négociant-élèveur duo Gregory Hecht and François Bannier. Better known as H&B, this young and dynamic team only makes reds and rosé from the Languedoc-Roussillon. The Vin de Pays du Côtes de Thau Rosé ($9.99) is a pink wine for red-wine lovers. It’s rich, fruity and structured, yet totally refreshing and crisp. The color is dark and rich and the nose is punctuated by strawberry and pomegranate. The juice is pressed from the skins immediately after harvest to preserve the freshness of the fruit. But this is no tutti frutti bubble gum rosé. It’s bold and weighty, has plenty of stuffing and is a perfect match for seared ahi tuna, or cold poached salmon. The Côteaux du Languedoc St-Félix de Lodez “Les Hauts de la Brune” ($8.99) is a dark expression of syrah (80% syrah, 10% grenache, 10% mourvèdre), brimming with berry, spice and leathery notes. This blend packs a punch for your buck. Like the '04, the '05 is rich in berries, licorice and spice, but it has more minerality than the '04 and demonstrates more structure and depth as well. The wine opens with a graphite minerality and then pepper, blackberries explode mid-palate. The wine finishes with some noticeable tannin. In keeping with the character of the 2005 vintage, this wine has a lot of immediate appeal but also has ageing potential.

Taste the two together and they make for a delicious study in the diversity and versatility of syrah.

—Nadia Dmytriw