Cantine Monfort Terre del Föhn Marzemino ($12.99)
Trentino
From the producer:
"The Marzemino grape occupies a prominent place in the wine growing world in Trentino thanks to its excellent quality. The origins of the vine are lost in history but it is likely that it comes from Marzemin, a village in Carinthia. Currently Marzemino is cultivated in particular on the right bank of the river Adige and, especially in the foothills of Nomi, Pomarolo, Isera and Mori. In the Vallagarina the variety has found ideal soil and climate conditions which lend it its unmistakable organoleptic characteristics. To distinguish it from other similar wines it is called 'Marzemino Gentile' where 'gentile' (gentle) is justified by the matchless delicacy of the wine.

WINE MAKING METHOD
Brief red wine fermentation on the skins, malolactic fermentation and refining in stainless steel vats. Brief ageing in bottle.

TASTING NOTES
Colour: bright ruby red . 
Bouquet: delicately fruity (fruits of the forest) with floral notes of  sweet violet
Palate: dry, harmonious,  pleasing for its fruity notes and slight almond finish.

FOOD MATCHING
First courses with meat sauces, white meats, poultry, cheeses.
This wine is famous  for its fruity taste. It is an indigenous wine mentioned in the Opera 'Don Giovanni' of Mozart."

From me:
I'm really into indigenous grapes and wines that are off the beaten path, so for me this is a really compelling one. It drinks a bit like a Pinot Noir in that it's light-bodied and brightly fruit-forward. I think at $12.99 it's a great alternative to Pinot, but it also stands on its own as a cool climate red. Organic.

Cantine Monfort Teroldego Rotaliano ($19.99)
Trentino
From the producer:
"This wine is unanimously considered the prince of Trentino wines. The vine is native to Trentino and the wine shares certain biochemical characteristics with Marzemino. It takes its name from a village near the town of Mezzolombardo called Teroldeghe. The fundamental characteristic of this variety is that it grows and gives its best only in the Piana Rotaliana area whose soil is the result of alluvial detritus deposited by the River Noce.

WINE MAKING METHOD
Traditional red-wine fermentation on the skins, malolactic fermentation and refining first in stainless steel, then in bottle for some months.

TASTING NOTES
Colour: intense ruby red with purple highlights.
Bouquet: intense, fruity with blackberry and bilberry notes.
Palate: full, warm with a rounded softness.

FOOD MATCHING
Roasted red meats, grilled meats and strongly flavoured cheeses."

From me:
Like Marzemino, this is a fairly obscure indigenous grape. This wine has a little more body, though it retains a nice acidity that comes from the cooler climate in which the vines grow. The flavor profile is somewhere between Pinot Noir and Gamay, but with more richness.

Calera Central Coast Chardonnay ($23.99)
California
From the producer:
"This beautiful 2014 Chardonnay possesses delightful notes of hibiscus, pineapple and citrus. Flavors are so wonderfully integrated and balanced; Fuji apple, lemon chiffon and a soft, round, sensuous mouthfeel with a nice bright sweet-tart personality. A delicious wine all around. 

Coming off of the third year of drought, the Central Coast wine region was expecting to see lower yields with struggling vines. Much to our surprise the vines responded well to the sunny winter and spring days, and were very productive. Although it was a very dry year we saw brilliant sunshine through the growing season with early harvest dates. The 2014 vintage turned out to be great, with good yields and intense flavors. After hand harvesting, the whole grape clusters were pressed and the juice was moved by gravity to Calera’s barrel cellar. Fermentation in barrels by native yeasts was followed by complete malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged without racking in French oak barrels, 10% new, for ten months. The separate vineyard lots were combined prior to bottling."

From me:
This is a great example of minimal intervention winemaking from California. The entire process is designed to disturb the fruit as little as possible, with the idea that the end product is as true to the grape as it can be. Calera is a lovely, elegant wine that exhibits balance in all of its characteristics.

Yangarra PF Shiraz ($24.99)
McLaren Vale, Australia
From the producer:
"The PF Shiraz is made from grapes grown on our certified biodynamic single estate vineyard, grown without herbicides, fungicides or synthetic chemicals. It is made without additions of any kind: sulphur (preservative), acid, tannin or finings.

'While it’s obviously a healthy, squeaky-clean presentation of young Shiraz, this is also a glass full of joy and laughter. It’s bright and stimulating, but not light in any way other than mood - its tannins will see it cellar longer than, say, any nouveau Beaujolais, but as a young wine it’s just as carefree in attitude. It’s intense, dark and perhaps like fresh soft liquorice in a way. This is pure, audacious, open-hearted fun.' - Peter Fraser, Winemaker."

From me:
This is, technically, a "natural wine." I hesitate to classify it that way, because the current trend of that style is something to which I do not wholeheartedly subscribe. There is nothing inherently better about a wine without sulphur (please see the blog post about wine and headaches), but the result is very different from what most of us are used to. Unsulphured wines are meant to be drunk young, though some, like this one, will take a little cellaring. They tend toward freshness and can have an earthy funkiness to them. Like all wines, some are absolutely undrinkable, but some, like the PF Shiraz are incredibly well done. This is a wine I absolutely love. Vegan friendly as well.

Cavicchioli Col Sassoso Lambrusca Secco ($16.99)
Modena, Italy
From the producer:
"A dry, full-bodied and delightful Lambrusco Grasparossa. Col Sassoso is well-structured and deep ruby red in colour with a purple rim. This wine has a spicy aroma, with a full-bodied and pleasantly fruity flavour (hints of morello cherries).
Grapes: Lambrusco Grasparossa"

From me:
This Lambrusco is a gorgeous color, with tart cherry and mildly spicy notes on the palate. A dry, sparkling red is such a nice addition to a holiday meal--festive and novel, this is a great aperitif or it can be paired with your main course. 

Here is the recipe for the mulled wine (Gluhwein):

In a pot or crockpot, heat 3/4 cup of water and 1/2-3/4 cup sugar until the sugar dissolves.

Slice an orange and squeeze the juice into the simple syrup.
Add 1-2 cinnamon sticks.

Let simmer for a few minutes and then add 1 750ml bottle of dry red wine (I used Archer Roose Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon)

Put 5 whole cloves in each half of the orange peel and add to the pot. 
Add a healthy pour of Triple Sec (I used 80 proof Giffard Premium)

Allow the wine to gently heat, but never come to a boil

If you are serving in glass mugs, rinse them with hot water first, so they don't crack

I tripled the water, oranges, and spices, and almost tripled the sugar for 4 bottles of wine.