12 wines for December $23 and under Really well-balanced wine with citrus and oak playing nicely. Some clean-tasting lemon comes through, and we'd put the oak level around 5-6 on our 0-10 scale. Smooth and creamy, not "sawdusty" as one tasting pal said. The oak mellowed and rounded out this wine. Went well with chicken in cream sauce. Fair price, and the winery's offerings are common menu finds in Northeast Ohio.

Medium garnet in color, this wine smells of cherry and raspberry fruit. In the mouth, tightly wound tannins wrap flavors of cherry, cedar, and wet earth. There's a hint of bitter orange as the wine finishes. This one needs a bit of time. 14.2% alcohol. Score: around 8.5.

Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of slightly sweaty socks and cranberry fruit. In the mouth, cranberry and raspberry flavors have a hint of barnyard to them and are wrapped in a gauzy but muscular skein of tannins. Good acidity. 14.2% alcohol. Score: around 8.5.

Medium garnet in color, this wine smells of ripe cherry and cranberry fruit. In the mouth, juicy cherry and cranberry flavors have a nice zing to them thanks to excellent acidity. Powdery tannins creep around the edges of the mouth and a note of black tea and cedar lingers in the finish. 14.2% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9.

Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of struck match and raspberry fruit. In the mouth, raspberry and cherry flavors are bright and dusted with powdery tannins. Good acidity brings a citrus peel quality to the sour cherry in the finish. Decent acidity. The tannins grow in strength as the wine lingers with hints of cedar. 14.2% alcohol. Score: around 8.5.

Top 100 Wines of Chile 2019 - #66

This dark red colored Pinot Noir from Cambria opens with an attractive blueberry, strawberry and whipped cream bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and savory. The flavor profile is a strawberry and mild blackberry blend with notes of minerality, cola and oak. The finish is dry and its moderate tannins and acidity stick around for a while after the wine is gone. This Pinot would pair well with a pork tenderloin dish.

6 Central Coast wines make Wine Spectator’s top 100 list for 2019 No. 61: Santa Maria’s Cambria Winery, 2017 Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay. Wine Spectator called the wine “well-structured” and said it has a “smoky richness and creamy texture.”

8 awesome drinkable gifts to pick up in Vancouver this season If your colleagues appreciate a rich red, this is the wine to buy. For a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s reasonably priced and unsurprisingly elegant. Think black currant, blackberry, black licorice, and wood spice with good tannins. It’s basically the kind of gift you’ll want to buy two of (one for yourself, obviously).

Anthony Gismondi’s top wine picks for holiday gifting and entertaining BIG RICH AND RED This is likely to be a massive sector of the wine market because red wine, or “big” reds as they are often described to me, are highly prized. The go-to wines here are Merlot, Malbec and Shiraz or most any red blend that is dominated by any of the three varieties. Think California, Australia, Chile or Argentina and spend $20 to $30 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Napa Valley, California, US

The Ultimate Gift Guide 2019 21 Outstanding Wines Even Your Wine-Snob Friends Will Love From high-profile Pierre Seillan, who makes wine on Bordeaux’s Right Bank as well as in Sonoma (Vérité), comes a Tuscan project showcasing his favorite variety: Cabernet Franc (representing 73 percent of this wine). High-toned aromas of violets and red berries belie the power and density of the palate that follows, and yet there’s great balance and finesse here, with juicy acidity and rounded tannins.

The Ultimate Gift Guide 2019 21 Outstanding Wines Even Your Wine-Snob Friends Will Love The Wine Advocate and critic Jeb Dunnuck don’t often land on the same score for a wine, but in the case of this Merlot-driven blend, they concurred—a perfect 100. Savory tobacco leaf notes are layered with dark plum and black cherry liqueur on the nose, while a stunning, velvety palate delivers layers of cassis and wild herbs through a long, mineral-rich finish.

The Ultimate Gift Guide 2019 21 Outstanding Wines Even Your Wine-Snob Friends Will Love Dark and concentrated, this Cab unfolds with spicy anise, briary blackberry and fresh herbs over a crushed rock character. It’s satisfyingly juicy, with loads of dark cherry, plum and cassis spiked with delicious mocha.

West Wines: Holiday Shopper’s Guide to West Coast Wines One of Oregon’s standout pinots, this multi-vineyard offering is quite floral on the nose with generous notes of red cherry, cedar, oak and even dried tobacco. The palate is savoury with subtle sweetness, dried fruits, earth and spice. A well-structured wine that will pair well with oven baked chicken and potatoes or with an equally contemplative book.

West Wines: Holiday Shopper’s Guide to West Coast Wines Here’s another fine expression of California merlot coming from one of the true leaders in this varietal space. It’s smooth, rich and complex with dark chocolate and cherry fruit notes that add to a spicy, pepper and earthy finish. I can’t think of any other merlot – at such a superb price point – with this kind of complexity. The depth of flavours will allow this to pair perfectly with a hearty beef stew or enjoy with dark chocolate while relaxing with your favourite tv show.

Top 100 Wines of Australia 2019 - #12

Top 100 Wines of Australia 2019 - #83

Top 100 Wines 2019 - #88

Top 100 Wines 2019 - #56

Uncorked: Recommendations for gifts and go-to wines for your holiday table Affordable best-bang-for-the-buck Pinots include 2017 Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve…

Salut!: Anthony Gismondi's best entertaining wines under $25

West Wines: Holiday Shopper’s Guide to West Coast Wines The five-acre DuPratt vineyard was planted in 1983 and sits on a ridge in California’s Anderson Valley at an elevation of 1,550 feet. The fruit reflects its mountainous locale, yielding wines with notable acidity and an appealing, rigid structure. This chardonnay is minerally fresh, leaving traces of pear, vanilla spice, lemon zest and stone fruit on a creamy finish. It’s got long-term cellaring appeal but if you absolutely must have it now, pair it with your Christmas turkey meal with all of the fixings.

Intense cassis and plum reduction flavors form the base for this wine, with streaks of graphite, anise and roasted apple wood adding energy and cut throughout. Youthfully chunky now but well-built, with deeply embedded acidity in place to let everything meld fully. Best from 2024 through 2040.

Made entirely from the one variety, this is light in color and beautifully composed, a study in structure and graceful texture. Red cherry and pomegranate play around complementary characteristics of rose, dried herb and cedar, finishing with plenty of fresh acidity.

Warm and rich in feel, with a multilayered beam of plum and cassis flavors, laced with smoldering vanilla bean, tobacco and loam notes. Black licorice details lurk in the background. Ends with a broad swath of fruit and smoke. Drink now through 2032.