ITALIAN RED

Italy makes more red wine, from more indigenous grapes, than any other country on earth — and almost none of it behaves like the international varieties most people learn on. Italian reds are built around acidity and savour rather than ripeness and weight. That is why they can seem austere on their own and then become obvious the moment food arrives. This shelf is assembled to be drunk at a table.

Where to start

If you want the clearest picture of what Italian red actually means, start in Tuscany with Sangiovese. Brancaia Il Tre Rosso ($20.09) is a Sangiovese-led blend with a little Merlot and Cabernet rounding the edges — sour cherry, dried herb, a fine grippy finish, and the kind of acidity that cuts straight through a ragù. Step up and Argiano Rosso Di Montalcino ($34.99) shows the same grape in its most serious address: Rosso di Montalcino is Brunello's younger sibling, made from the same Sangiovese Grosso clone in the same hills, released earlier and priced accordingly. It is the best-value entry into Montalcino there is.

From Abruzzo, Valle Reale Vigneto Di Popoli Montepulciano D'Abruzzo 750Ml ($17.09) is the weeknight workhorse of this collection — dark-fruited, soft-tannined, faintly herbal Montepulciano from a high-altitude single vineyard, and one of the most reliably food-friendly reds at any price.

And from Emilia-Romagna, something most Americans have been mis-sold: La Battagliola Lambrusco Grasparossa ($18.99) is real Lambrusco — dry, dark purple, lightly sparkling, and the traditional partner to the prosciutto, parmigiano and rich pork of its home region. Serve it cold. It bears no relation to the sweet pink fizz of the 1970s.

How to buy from this shelf

A useful rule: match the wine to the weight of the sauce, not the protein. Tomato-based dishes want the acidity of Sangiovese. Cream and cheese want the fruit of Montepulciano. Cured meat and anything fried wants the bubbles and cold of Lambrusco. La Marca Prosecco ($17.99) sits here too for the same reason — an Italian table almost always opens with something sparkling.

Spanish Tempranillo works from the same savoury playbook, which is why Montecillo Crianza Red ($13.99) has a place on this page as well. If that comparison interests you, we took the Spanish ageing system apart in Rioja Tells You Exactly How Old It Is.

Related shelves

For the Spanish counterpart, see Rioja and Wine | Spain. For the full range across every country and style, Wine is the parent shelf, and Best Sellers shows what is actually moving this month.

Bottles ship to permitted states with adult signature required on delivery.