02 Julian Chivite Gran Feudo Crianza (Navarra, Spain)
We tasted this, and bought all the rest. Here's why: it's been a while since we've tasted what was the traditional flavors of Old World Spanish wine. And the price is amazing too. This might not be for everyone, but its style is distinct and memorable: mature notes of cherry and raspberry mingle with light orange zest and a touch of spice on the finish. Fun to experiment with different cheeses and other appetizers, such as marinated olives or tapas.

08 La Maialina Chianti (Tuscany, Italy)
A superb, traditional style Chianti, the La Maialina derives its name from the native pig of the area, which was once thought to be extinct. And this Chianti shows too that the old style is not extinct - focused plum and cherry lead the way, finishing with an earthy note typical of good Chianti. Even with its light-bodied style, this delivers a lot of classy flavor. Great with pizza or steak salad. A great price on this; we can get more, so if you like it, let us know.

09 Bodega Colome Calchaqui Valley Amalaya (Salta, Argentina)
Wines from Argentina's Salta region are becoming more and more noticed and popular, and deserve even more attention than they are getting now. Given that the most famous and productive region of Mendoza is much farther south, the northern location of Salta has some rather extreme and unusual climate conditions: it is very hot and dry, though the humidity can be very intense. And the resulting wine is not like the others you may have tried from Argentina. We don't usually pay attention to the descriptions of wine on the back labels, but this one gets it exactly right, noting the unique mix of full bodied boysenberry, vanilla, floral, and hints of white pepper. A superb flavor experience, and we encourage you to pick wines from Salta from the wine list, as well as demand that your local wine shop carry them! Excellent with blue-veined cheese based sauces, such as gnocchi with gorgonzola. There's not a lot of this around, so buy more soon if you enjoy it.