There’s a hurricane a-comin’ and I’m cleaning out the fridge. (Here in Houston, we sometimes have a little problem with falling tree branches taking out power lines…)

A pound of hamburger meat spells Zinfandel to me — if there’s a better burger wine, I don’t know what it is. So I’m popping the corks on a few that fall into the $18-$20 range. Here are my notes:

Simi 2006 Zinfandel Sonoma County ($20). This one was my favorite of the four, mostly because it offers a lovely, refreshing balance that many Zins lack. Nothing heavy handed or overly alcoholic here, just bright red berry and cherry aromas and flavors that stay focused through the concentrated finish, picking up black pepper and sweet, toasty vanilla along the way. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Sausal 2005 Zinfandel Alexander Valley Old Vine Family ($18). Also like this one for its appealing ripe black cherry and strawberry jam flavors laced with a kick of black pepper, baking spices, vanilla and toasty oak. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.

The other two I tasted were the Rancho Zabaco 2006 Zinfandel Sonoma County Heritage Vines ($18), which I thought was a little heavy, with the alcohol overwhelming the ripe blueberry and blackberry fruit. On the other hand, the Rodney Strong 2006 Zinfandel Sonoma County Knotty Vines ($20) was noticeably light — not a lot of concentration to either the color or flavors, though the red berry fruit was otherwise tasty enough.