In Tipping's Tipples this week, MIKE 'CORLEONE' TIPPING tries a wine from Sicily

FOR those of you who don't know, syrah is known as shiraz in Australia.

Not to be confused with Little Sirah which has an I not a Y. Unless, of course you're a Californian wine producer in which case you might just spell it with a Y.

Which leads me to question Y am I telling you this?

Anyway this syrah is an OK example.

It's got a nice peppery edge and it's quite smooth but it lacks the strong, dark-fruit flavours that wines of this ilk benefit from.

I paired it with a steaming hot bowl of spaghetti smothered in a fine bolognese sauce (from the excellent Il Paradiso del Cibo takeaway in Walmgate).

With the right food this syrah is definitely drinkable and you certainly wouldn't offend your guests with it.

Handy that, if you don't want to find a horse's head in your bed!

And you get a pound off Il Padrinho Syrah di Sicilia 2002 at Somerfield during a four-week promotion starting this Wednesday.

Holding up Le Tricolore in the same promotion is a 2001 Hautes Cotes de Beaune Rouge. It is a reasonable buy at the promo price of £5.49.

It's got hints of raspberry flavour and is as dry as a bone, with that Burgundy ability to vaporise pleasantly in the mouth.

It's a little sharp however, and so probably best with food. Somerfield recommends matching it with roast duck, coq-au-vin or baked gammon.

Drinkable examples this week but nothing special. Both wines lack that extra something to lift them above the norm.

There again, neither will break the bank at these promotional prices. In particular, the Sicilian syrah at £3.99 is an affordable and decent wine. Nice to wash down takeaway pizza.

Il Padrinho Syrah di Sicilia 2002,

£3.99 reduced from £4.99 at Somerfield

Pizza/pasta partner

Hautes Cotes de Beaune Rouge 2001,

£5.49 reduced from £6.99 at Somerfield

Take it or leave it

Updated: 14:25 Tuesday, April 20, 2004