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As temperatures drop and the sun sets earlier each day, our patterns of behavior change as we ready ourselves for winter. The craving for richer, warming food sets in and sweaters and jackets are pulled out of their summer hiding places. To accompany the heavier style of food we eat this time of year, we seek out bold red wines from around the globe to warm us up slightly and to match the heartiness of the dishes on our tables. Related Stories Unlike Most Sectors, the Wine Industry Actually Grew During the Pandemic Taste Test: WhistlePig’s Solid (But Not Spectacular) New Boss Hog Rye Is Still as Unusual as Ever After 24 Years, Chicago Celebrity Hot Spot Tavern on Rush Will Close Next Week

Whether a blend or single varietal pour, the wines we look for now have bold fruit flavors, a touch of spice and plush tannins that are the perfect match for intensely satisfying meals.

This Uruguayan blend of Tannat, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Marselan is fermented in cement tanks then aged in untoasted French oak barrels for 20 months. On the nose there are aromas of red plum, blackberry and black currant. It is full bodied on the palate with juicy fruit flavors and a touch bright acidity in the finish.

From Portugal’s Douro Valley this full-bodied red is composed of Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca. It is brilliant garnet in the glass with aromas of red raspberry, cassis and a whiff of freshly ground pepper. It is fruit forward in the mouth with luscious flavors of red berries, black plum and brown baking spices. The tannins are silky and well-integrated.

Winemaker Louis Barruol took charge of his family’s vines in 1992 and converted them to biodynamic practices in 2010. His signature wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault. It has aromas of fresh figs, dark fruits and purple flowers with flavors of red plum and red currant. The tannins are smooth with just a touch of licorice and slate in the finish.

Named for Eliza Yount who founded Yountville with her husband George, this blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon pays homage to the earlier pioneers of California’s Napa Valley. It has a delightful bouquet of red and black fruits that translate to the palate seamlessly. It if full-bodied with well-integrated tannins and a long, long finish. Drink now or within the next two decades.

Grapes for this delicious wine are grown in a certified organic and biodynamic vineyard located in the Red Hills AVA in Lake County. It is garnet ruby colored in the glass with aromas of violet, slate and dark fruits. In the mouth there are rich fruit flavors and a strong mineral backbone from the rocky, red volcanic soils.

Grown in the hills above Lake Sonoma, grapes for this spicy Zinfandel are sourced from high altitude vineyards in the Rockpile AVA in northwest Sonoma County. It is purple colored in the glass with aromas of red currant, red plum and freshly ground white pepper. In the mouth there are flavors of red raspberries, cassis and black raspberries. There are grippy tannins with a fruit filled finish.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot, this enticing red wine commemorates the 160th vintage by the Gundlach Bundschu family in Sonoma Valley. It has aromas of forest floor, dark chocolate and black raspberry. In the mouth it opens with a bright fruit splash which makes way for complex flavors of fresh fennel bulb and dried Mediterranean herbs. Drink now or over the next decade.

Hailing from the Right Bank of Bordeaux this wine takes its name from the tower that graces the property. It is aged in French oak barrels for 16 to 18 months and is deep garnet in color. It has aromas of boysenberry and black fig and in the mouth there are flavors of blackberry, red cherry and mulberry with a touch of cedar and tobacco leaf in the finish. Drink now or hold for a few years.

Shiraz and Viognier grapes are crushed and co-fermented together to give this delightful wine a floral lift. It is dark garnet in the glass with aromas of purple flowers, citrus blossoms and black plum. It is bold and generous in the mouth with flavors of blackberry, cassis and mulberry stacked on top of a well-structured tannic backbone.

After harvest in September 2011 the grapes for this full-bodied wine were dried for 120 days before destemming, crushing and fermentation. It is aged in large oak barrels for six years and then bottle aged for at least one year. This results in an intoxicating bouquet with aromas of black cherry, red plum and cocktail cherries. On the palate there are flavors of red and black fruits with hints of toasted hazelnuts and Oolong tea.

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