1. Ferraton Côtes-du-Rhône 2021, France

On a Friday evening following a long work week, meeting up with a friend for dinner is a great way to wind down to a relaxing weekend. Even better is meeting at an Italian restaurant a hop, skip, and jump from home – where a brown bag license allows you to bring in your own wine – without a corkage fee! I grabbed a bottle of Ferraton Côtes-du-Rhône to pair with a chicken parmigiana served with homemade pasta. Grenache, Syrah, and a small percentage of Cinsault were blended to create this magnificent ruby-colored, elegantly structured, medium-bodied red wine. It’s burst of ripe berries with added spice proved perfect to sip on an unseasonably warm fall evening. You will definitely think this bottle costs more than it’s price of approximately $15/bottle.

2. Château de Pez, 2019 Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France

- Frederick Rouzaud, CEO of Champagne Louis Roederer

Moving northwest from the southern region of France, in the AOC Saint-Estèphe on the left bank, a bottle of Château de Pez became better known once Cellarmaster Jean-Claude Rouzaud integrated the AOC property into the “Roederer Collection.” Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot comprise this sublime blend of ripe raspberry-forward flavor with a hint of tobacco. The perfect choice for welcoming cooler weather. Pair with a juicy burger, grilled veggies, BBQ ribs, tacos, or pizza. $60/bottle

3. Schiefer 2019 Burgenland Blaufränkisch, Vienna, Austria

Heading to central Europe, southeast of Vienna, is Burgenland, where this wine region excels in producing red wines. Screw off the cap of this … and it is sure to surprise and delight your palate. The grape varietal, Blaufränkisch, is not recognizable to most, but its blackberry with slight peppery taste and velvety texture will be all that’s necessary to prove its staying power. High suggested pairing: any dish with lots of foraged mushrooms. Affordable ~$15/bottle

4. Conde Valdemar 2015 Reserva, Rioja, Spain

Cocoa and toffee notes add to the mixed berry flavors of Rioja’s Alavesa and Alta vineyard regions that grow these robust grape varietals that comprise this superior reserve wine. Tempranillo is the major player in this wine, followed by a bit of Garnacha and a slight touch of Graciano and Maturana. Pair with a bowl of stir-fried noodles and you’re good to go and enjoy a cozy autumn evening. ~$27/bottle

5. La Atalyay del Camino 2020 Red Blend, Spain

If you like your wine deep and inky, this La Atalyay del Camino Red Blend is a perfect selection. The vineyards that grow the grapes Garnacha Tintoera (a.k.a. Alicante Bouschet) and Monastrell (a.k.a. Mourvèdre) blended to create this wine hail from the Alamansa D.O. in the southeast corner of Castilla-LaMancha. Garnacha Tintoera is a rare teinturier grape with red flesh and juice, unlike most red varieties whose anthocyanin pigments are confined to the outer skins. This would explain the inky coloration. The palate is in line with the inky color. Think exotic spices, plums, black cherries, ripe blackberries, plush tannin structure and you’ve got a taste of La Atalyay del Camino. $18/bottle

6. Bonarrigo Family Wines, 2020 Heritage Reserve Sagrantino, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Texas

Heading out of Europe to the United States, Texas is typically an underdog to California wine regions. But not in Texas Hill Country. When this wine journalist hosted friends for an impromptu Italian takeout dinner party and opened the second bottle – this Bonarrigo 2020 – it received rave reviews. It helps that the Bonarrigo Family has winemaking roots in Messina, Sicily – even if that was 200 years ago. Italian winemaking is in the family bloodline. It’s no surprise that they use Italian varietals, and it works out well to pair with Bolognese dishes and Parmigiana. $40/bottle

7. Lost Draw 2022 Picpoul Blanc, Timmons Estate Vineyard, Texas High Plains

This wine deserves a bit of unpacking the several nuances of its making. First, the vineyards are in Lubbock County, Texas. Next, it’s Picpoul (translation: kiss of lemon) Blanc -- not a typically known grape in the U.S., but it should be. Picpoul is ancient white-wine grape that hails from the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. This is a perfect white wine alternative to spark a dinner conversation. Crafted with perfection in mind, it’s a must to pair with salmon dishes. $36/bottle

8. Valdemar Estates 2021 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, Washington

Washington State is an established wine region with 12 AVA’s, and this Chardonnay was crafted with grapes harvested from the Columbia Valley AVA – the largest in Washington State. Kudos to Winemaker Devyani Isabel Gupta for making a crisp, bright white wine that isn’t oaked to its death and offers the perfect amount of pears and pineapple flavors on the palate. $40/bottle

HOLIDAY GIFT SUGGESTION

To pair with any of the above wines, show up to your next holiday gathering with a pack of Repour Wine Savers so your guest can savor what’s in the gifted bottle without losing the quality of the wine. This is a new product on the market and once you peel off the foil cover, you get one stopper per bottle use. You will have to discard the stopper, so it’s best to buy these in large quantities.

Charlene Peters is a wine writer and author of "Travel Makes Me Hungry."