AS THE evenings get lighter and the days warmer, the wine drinker’s knee-jerk reaction is often to switch to fresh whites and light reds. But let’s face it, we live in northern England where the phrase “ne’er cast a clout til May is out” is best heeded. So for now, keep buying those big, warming, winter reds.

I’ve picked out four this week, made from my current favourite grape syrah, aka shiraz. Two are in what you could loosely call the Aussie fruit-bomb style. The other pair have more akin with wines from the northern Rhône: think gamy, peppery, dry and made to drink with steak.

The Limari valley may be a northerly outpost on Chile’s wine map, but it has an up-and-coming reputation. Maycas del Limari Syrah 2007, from the Concha y Toro stable, is a good example of what can be produced at the £10 mark. This one is full, with the fruit turned up (blackberries), sweet vanilla oak notes, hot spices and smooth tannins.

Of course, nobody does Aussie-style shiraz better than the Aussies and Wakefield Jaraman Shiraz 2005 is a great wine. If you don’t just want to take my word for it, the wine was a Gold medal winner at the 2008 International Wine Challenge. It’s not cheap and you won’t find it on any supermarket shelves, but it is worth searching out as a special treat. Made from fruit grown in both the Clare Valley and McLaren Vale, it is rich and velvety smooth with berry fruit flavours, dark chocolate, vanilla, peppery notes and good structure.

The two northern ‘Rhône-alikes’ are from New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay, which is one of the country’s best regions for red grape growing. Oddbins have the savoury Rongopai Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2007, which has enticing earthy aromas and is full of spice, pepper and smoky notes, with dark forest fruits and good, food pairing acidity.

If you’re feeling flush, then try The John Forrest Collection Syrah 2005 which is an even more complex creation. It’s very classy stuff, with violet and wax polish aromas, flavours of ripe cassis, brambles, smoky bacon oak notes and tightly knit tannins.

•Maycas del Limari Syrah 2007, £9.49 at Oddbins 17/20

•Wakefield Jaraman Shiraz 2005, around £16 at Dendy Dale Wine and Hoults Wine Merchants 18/20

•Rongopai Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2007, £9.99 at Oddbins 18/20

•The John Forrest Collection Hawkes Bay Syrah 2005, £16.99 from Adnams (adnams.co.uk) 18/20