A blend of the Port wine grape Touriga Nacional with Alicante Bouschet and Syrah in undisclosed proportions, Casal Garcia “Alegria” Vinho Tinto is a dark reddish-purple color with a thin, clear edge. Ripe and juicy red-berry and cherry scents grab your attention, and carry over on the palate in a fresh cherry-berry flavor that’s dry and acidic, adding hints of cranberry and red plum.

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Check prices and find vendors for Casal Garcia “Alegria” on Wine-Searcher.com. (Wine-Searcher lists it as a Douro wine, but more recent vintages have moved from Douro to Portugal’s coastal Lisboa (formerly Estremadura) region.

Read about Portugal’s Tourigo Nacional grape and browse other wines made from this variety at this Wine-Searcher link.

Go to this Wine-Searcher link for information on Portugal’s Lisboa (formerly Estremadura) wine region. Read article.

A throwback to Chile’s wine foundations, Viña Maitia Aupa Pipeño is a traditional blend of 80% País (Mission) with 20% Carignan made in the 400-year-old Chilean pipeño process. Ruby color, clear and rather light, it has a fresh, appealing scent of red cherries, raspberries, and pomegranate, with subtle notes of mint and fennel.

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Check prices and find vendors for Maitia Aupa Pipeño on Wine-Searcher.com.

Read about Chile’s Maule Valley and browse a variety of its wines at this Wine-Searcher link. Read article.

Clear garnet Vigna Del Lauro Cabernet Franc offers fresh, if relatively simple, scents of dried cherries, black pepper, and hints of plums and pomegranate. Good black fruit flavors carry over on the palate in pleasing fruit character, fragrant pepper, and refreshing acidity.

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Check prices and find vendors for Vigna Del Lauro Cabernet Franc on Wine-Searcher.com.

Read about the wines of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and browse listings for wines and vendors at this Wine-Searcher link.

Follow this Wine-Searcher link to read about the Cabernet Franc grape and find dozens of wines and vendors. Read article.

Stolpman Vineyards employs its dedicated, passionate vineyard workers year-round. In an effort to provide further stability to their families, the crew “La Cuadrilla” receives the profits of their wine.

Dark reddish-purple with a bright garnet edge, Stolpman La Quadrilla starts with a floral blast of freshly ground black pepper on the nose, quickly joined by notes of black cherries and blackberries and a hint of tobacco leaf. All that delight comes together in a bright, ripe but balanced flavor framed by food-friendly acidity, lingering with palatable tannins in a very long finish.

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Check prices and find vendors for Stolpman La Quadrilla on Wine-Searcher.com.

Read about Santa Barbara County’s Ballard Canyon viticultural area at this Wine-Searcher link. Read article.