(from left to right) Monteflor Velio Pinot Grigio 2007 (Veneto, Italy), $12: A sauce of white wine and butter makes anything taste delicious, especially seafood. Add zing to dishes such as linguine and clams with this light and crisp pinot grigio featuring flavors of citrus. Roncier Rouge NV (Burgundy, France), $12: Create a delicious side dish by sautéing mushrooms in this versatile pinot noir featuring aromas of rich soil and cherry. This earthy, soft wine also makes a wonderful reduction to pour over roasted pork loin and drinks beautifully on its own. Collegiata Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2008 (Tuscany, Italy), $10: Most any Montepulciano will bring out the flavors of herbs and roasted tomatoes in your homemade marinara, giving it a more authentic Italian taste. With notes of sour cherry and dried herbs, Collegiata’s medium-bodied red wine is always a crowd-pleaser. Heron Chardonnay 2007 (California), $12: A bit of full-bodied white wine imbues an everyday chicken casserole with extra rich flavor. Try this chardonnay, which blends grapes from California’s Russian River Valley, Carneros, and Santa Maria regions, creating flavors of melted butter, plus pear, lemon, and orange. Owl House Red Wine NV (California), $9: The juicy dark cherry and walnut flavors in this red wine add a mouth-watering, velvety texture to hearty red meats such as beef bourguignon, while the blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and Rhône varietals make it robust enough to drink alongside these dishes as well.
