This tasty Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is a clear dark reddish-purple color, shading to a lighter garnet edge. Simple but fresh, tart cherries and blackberries with an edge of spice on the nose and palate. Fresh-fruit acidity and moderate astringent tannins surround dark fruit on the palate, with appealing cherry-berry fruit lingering in the finish. Its 14 percent alcohol doesn’t overwhelm the flavor.

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Find vendors and check prices for La Fiera Montepulciano d’Abruzzo on Wine-Searcher.com.

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This is a clear, dark garnet Beaujolais, with reddish-orange glints against the light. Pleasant red-fruit aromas, subtle cherries and raspberries, are backed by a pleasant earthy sense of damp red clay. Delicious cherry-berry flavors are framed by surprising tannins for a Beaujolais, crisp, mouth-watering acidity and firm but not overwhelming 13.5 percent alcohol. A good wine that clearly shows the style of named-village Cru Beaujolais.

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Check prices and view vendors for Château de Poncie “Le Prê Roi” Fleurie on Wine-Searcher.com.

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Clear, watery pale with just a hint of buff color. If you’re used to the distinct juniper scent of more traditional gins, this American organic gin may surprise you: Juniper is there, but a pleasant soft citric vegetal scent of lemongrass dominates the scent for me, with earthy spicy notes of coriander seed and other subtle botanicals. It’s a bit warm on the palate at 93.4 proof, but its smooth, mellow character holds the heat under control and makes it an excellent mixer in negronis, martinis, gin and tonics or whatever you like.

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Find vendors and compare prices for Farmer’s Botanical Small Batch Organic Gin on Wine-Searcher.com.

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Transparent light gold color, a pretty hue in the glass. It’s a wine of surprising complexity and flavor interest for a relatively affordable white. Notes of pears and white flowers are accented by chalky notes on the nose and a distinct minerality in the dry, gently acidic, medium-bodied flavor.

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Find vendors and compare prices for Julien Braud “Les Vignes du Bourg” Muscadet on Wine-Searcher.com.

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This Provence red is made with organically grown Cabernet Sauvignon (32%), Grenache (31%), Syrah (22%) and Carignan (15%), grapes, with the Cabernet, a bit surprisingly for a Provence red, bumped up as a major component in this vintage. It’s fairly dark reddish-purple in color, shading to a clear edge. Delicious but not overbearing mixed-fruit aromas bring black plums, cherries and red berries to the table carrying over on the palate in juicy, tart fruit shaped by crisp acidity and a soft edge of astringent tannins that work with modest 13% alcohol to keep it food-friendly.

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Find vendors and check prices for Mas de Gourgonnier Les Baux de Provence on Wine-Searcher.com.
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