Bring a bottle

Between hosting gatherings, gift-giving and dining with friends, wine fans will have ample opportunity to explore new wines during the holidays or return to tried-and-true varietals and wineries. This month, we take a look at three wines from Calandro’s Supermarket that you’ll be proud to give or serve.

Gruner Veltliner • 2012 • $14
This dry Austrian white wine is a terrific fit for dinner parties or cocktail fętes that serve a range of full-flavored pick-ups or heavy appetizers. The reason is its inherent versatility. Crisp, with hints of peach and hay, this subtle, crisp varietal offers both refreshment and complexity.
Pair it with: Tuna tartare, spinach salad with blue cheese and smoked bacon, or mini spanakopita.

Piemonte • Barbera • $11
Fruit-forward and supple, this medium-bodied varietal from a well-established winery in the Italian Piedmont presents nice berry fruit and plum. There’s good overall texture in this Barbera—a silky, drinkable wine that is perfect for serving with pasta or gourmet pizza.
Pair it with: A platter of blue cheeses, angel hair pasta with raw tomato and garlic sauce or roast pork with fig sauce.

2010 • Napa
Cabernet Sauvignon • $22
While not as highly lauded as past vintages, the 2010 Twenty Bench Cab is still a respectable bottle that gives you good complexity for the price. Decant it first, and you’ll get a better display of its rich berry fruit and hints of tobacco and chocolate. ?Pair it with: Flank steak roulade with boursin and pistachios, ground tenderloin burgers on ciabatta rolls or salad of arugula, candied pecans and tenderloin.
Pair it with: Flank steak roulade with boursin and pistachios, ground tenderloin burgers on ciabatta rolls or salad of arugula, candied pecans and tenderloin.