Peter Osvaldik, owner/winemaker from Bellingham’s Dynasty Cellars has done it again.

The first wine he produced, the DC3 2006 Meritage, was an under priced, overachiever’s dream of a red wine blend that would make even a well-seasoned winemaker envious. If you were fortunate enough to snag a bottle or two earlier this year and tuck it away you’ll find that it’s still drinking beautifully.

But Osvaldik’s latest efforts, which are just being released, are equally as promising as their predecessor, and they’ve been produced in quantities that should keep them in stock for the next several months.

First up is the DCZ 2007 Zinfandel (about $26). Sourced from Walla Walla’s Les Collines Vineyard and blended with a bit of malbec and petit verdot, this wine embraces you like a long, lost friend.

There are no brash, brambly features you might find in more than a few California zins, just some very subtle blackberry and boysenberry flavors with a touch of white pepper and spice on an elegant, polished finish.

Also now available is the DC3 2007 Meritage (about $24), a proprietary Bordeaux blend with a base of merlot along with malbec, cabernet franc and petit verdot. In addition to Les Collines, Osvaldik also used grapes from Walla Walla’s Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills Vineyards to comprise this spectacular red wine.

Dark and inky, with understated flavors of black cherry, licorice, and anise, it’s a well made, well balanced blend that is ready to drink now on its own, complemented with anything beef, or simply cellared for future enjoyment.

Dynasty Cellars wines are available at a number of local retailers and wine shops including Purple Smile Wines, The Market at Fairhaven, Blaine Cost Cutter, Whatcom County Haggen stores and Compass Wines in Anacortes.

You’ll also find them on the menu at Giuseppe’s, the Harborside Bistro, Nimbus, the Cliff House and the Rhododendron Café.

Syrah makes a great choice for people who enjoy red wines.

It generally falls into the medium- to full-bodied category, with mid-range tannins and acidity. Think of it as a merlot with a bit of zing.

As with all wine-grape varietals, syrah’s taste depends on climate and soil conditions, but adjectives frequently used to describe it include spicy, smoky and peppery, with flavors of berries, coffee and chocolate.

Although syrah originated in the Rhone region of France, it’s found in essentially all of the world’s major wine regions, including Australia and South Africa (where it’s called “shiraz”), and in smaller quantities, primarily for blending purposes, in Argentina, Chile, Italy and Spain.

And let’s not forget the United States, and in particular Washington, where syrah production has nearly doubled the past five years.

Although it’s still a distant third behind cabernet sauvignon and merlot, syrah continues to gain ground here. Last year, it comprised nearly 15 percent of the red-wine varietals produced in the state. Here are a few locally available Washington syrahs I have recently enjoyed:

McKinley Springs 2005 Syrah (about $15) — A super value from the Horse Heaven Hills Appellation, it has lovely earthy and floral aromas, with black currant and black pepper on the mid-palate. With time to breath, the slightly hot finish dissipates, allowing the milk chocolate notes to shine through. Watch for the 2006 vintage, which received high marks from Wine Spectator magazine.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley 2005 Syrah (about $15) — Here’s another well-priced syrah, one with Ligurian cherry and caramel on the nose and jammy blueberry, cherry and plum flavors. The finish is dark and inky, with traces of coffee and mocha.

Lost River Winery 2007 Côte-Wall (about $26) — Newly released, this syrah is co-fermented with a splash of viognier. It has a beautiful fragrance of butterscotch and violets, with complex flavors of strawberry, red currant, pomegranate and spice. The soft, lingering finish suggests toasted vanilla and toffee. Outstanding!

You’ve got to love a winery with a sense of humor. Yes, winemaking is serious business, but there’s no harm in having a little fun with the label, especially when the wine inside the bottle also puts a smile on your face.

Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards, located on the north shore of Lake Chelan, is one of those wineries. Owner/winemaker Judy Phelps, whom I met at a wine tasting event in Seattle earlier this year, named her play-on-words winery in reference to a rowboat taxi service that carried miners to a brothel across the lake in the 1930’s.

Phelps and her husband Don, who manages the facility, planted their first vineyards in 2005. They currently produce about 2,000 cases a year, with a focus on non-mainstream varietals. Here are my tasting notes on some that I’ve recently tried:

Shameless Hussy 2007 Barbera ($20) – A lip-smacking wine so bright you might need to wear sunglasses while tasting it. Dazzling flavors of cranberry and red currant with a generous splash of acidity. A natural to pair with creamy cheeses or turkey with sage dressing.

2007 Primitivo ($32) – Beautiful layers of black cherry, cola and a dusting of cocoa melt into a lengthy finish with a hint of vanilla. Impeccably well-balanced to the point that the wine’s 15.5 percent alcohol content is virtually unnoticeable.

2007 Zinfandel ($35) – Light in color and reminiscent of a pinot noir, with a woodsy/berry aroma. Raspberry and strawberry flavors and a touch of fig with a lovely finish of licorice root and crème brulee. Stunning, complex and unique.

Because of their small production, which includes other varietals such as pinot gris and roussanne, Hard Row to Hoe wines are not distributed in the Bellingham area. However, they can be purchased online at hardrow.com and Judy tells me it never hurts to inquire about shipping discounts.

Better yet, why not make a trip over to the Lake Chelan area and visit the winery? You’ll take in some beautiful scenery along the way and, almost certainly, have fun.

Pend d’Oreille Winery 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (about $28): I loved everything about this wine…really. From Walla Walla’s Berghan Vineyard, this cabernet hits all the right notes.

Traces of berry and vanilla on the nose, with beautiful dark cherry flavors that are accenuated by touches of mocha and sweet oak. The finish is long, round and polished and will leave you wanting more. Fruit, tannins and acidity are all perfectly in balance, a testament to good, quality winemaking.

Yes, this wine will pair up well with your standard roast beef or pork, but I’d almost be inclined to serve this one on its own so you can savor every drop.

Only a scant 97 cases produced, so don’t hesitate to buy without delay. Enjoyable now and certainly cellarable for several more years.

This and other Pend d’Oreille Winery wines are available for purchase on line at the winery web site. Visit www.powine.com or phone (877) 452-9011.

Recipe for making a successful new local winery: Be passionate about quality winemaking; use grapes from some the State’s best vineyards; package the wine in a beautiful, eye-catching bottle; then give it an affordable price to entice people to try it.

And, of course, don’t forget to fill it with some really good wine.

Dynasty Cellars owner/winemaker Peter Osvaldik and his wife, Olga, have followed this formula for their first release with impressive results. Osvaldik sources his fruit from some of the best vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley, including Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills, and gives his wine plenty of aging time in the barrel, allowing it to develop depth and character.

His initial release, the DC3 2006 Meritage Red Wine, is a blend of 65 percent cabernet, 30 percent merlot and 5 percent syrah. The wine is just hitting the market, and it’s a superb first effort.

Beautifully textured with layers of cherry and dark fruits, it also displays plenty of oak and a trace of chocolate on the finish. This is a big, well structured wine that will pair nicely with a beef entrée now and it promises to get even better with additional cellaring.

I also recently did a barrel tasting of Osvaldik’s 2007 vintages, including the three DC3 varietals as well as some malbec and zinfandel. The blending and release of most of these grapes should occur next year, and I can tell you up front that these are likely to result in some blockbuster wines that will be worth a follow up.

For now, you’ll have to be content with just the DC3, which is a must-buy at only $19.99 a bottle. Osvaldik estimates that there are about 120 cases still available for purchase, notably at Purple Smile Wines in Fairhaven and selected Haggen stores. You’ll also find it served at Giuseppe’s Restaurant on Cornwall Avenue in Bellingham.

Distribution is expected to increase over time, and you can contact the winery at (360) 758-7919 or at dynastycellars@qwestoffice.net for more information.