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Chinon is simply one of our favorite places to look for wine - with a longstanding tradition of grape growing (going back to the 13th century), and a consistent regional style of making wine, it's always hard to resist. This Cabernet Franc opens up with a supple nose of ripe dark red fruit and a touch of chocolate, moving to a palate with great freshness and acidity, and a bit of green, and a slightly grippy, food-friendly finish.

A classic bistro wine, there are a lot of foods that will love being beside a Chinon. A classic steak-frites will be fabulous, or a Charcuterie platter with plenty of fatty, salty sausignon, Chinon can play well with more flavorful poultry preparations, or even fish, like a blackened catfish with remoulade.

A perennial favorite Italian red, this year's Zucca Barbera is another lovely chapter in this wine's history. Opening with a bouquet of purple flowers, earth, and dried fruit, the palate is firm and muscular, with exceptional fruit weight and density, and long, lingering tannin.

An easy winner beside hearty Italian fare like a wild game ragù with pappardelle, or steak florentine, the wine has enough balance and finesse to match with lighter cold cuts and cheeses as well.

A classic wine from a classic Dry Farm Wines grower, the Grand Amour is a consistently excellent Cab Franc from the place that grows it best. Opening with dark fruit notes of plum, red currant, and bit of milk chocolate, on the palate it reads both serious yet supple, with great tannins, a touch of acidity, and luscious fruit weight.

There's an herbaceous side to Cab Franc that adds intrigue to classical Cabernet pairings. Try the Grand Amour with a grilled steak with a punchy chimichurri, a pork shoulder steak with a fragrant mint salad, or hearty roasted eggplant with a concassé.

One of the ways a wine's quality is determined is if it is identifiable as a wine from the specific place where it's from: and this Bordeaux smells and tastes just like Bordeaux. With just a bit of cigar box, black currant, and a touch of herbal green, in a word, it reads, "serious." The palate is a bit fresher than one would expect, but it's still weighty, with plenty of dried and fresh fruit.

A great Bordeaux to pair with classic french dishes like a filet with Bordelaise and fondant potatoes, a bouef Bourguignon, or if you'd like, a hearty mushroom risotto.

Malbec may have found a new home in Argentina, but it's birthplace is actually Bordeaux! In Roman times, wines from the region of Cahors were called "black wine," for their deep purple hue, and their rustic intensity. This Cahors is a new breed though, elegant, aromatic, and full-fruited, it opens with a touch of balsamic with dried herbs, and dark flowers, while the palate is long, and subtle, with dark fruits.

It's hard to beat meat and Malbec, and this wine will go excellently beside anything that comes off the barbecue, protein and vegetable alike. Turn to pork and beef for proteins, or darker, substantial veg like beets or eggplant.