Bartolo Mascarello, Dolcetto d'Alba 2020

At a time when winemaking styles change as quickly as trends in fashion, it's important to celebrate the fierce guardians of tradition. Bartolo Mascarello was, by all accounts, the fiercest. His wines were celebrated for their nuance and elegance. Maria Teresa Mascarello, Bartolo’s daughter, has only turned up the quality since the early 2000s. The Bartolo Mascarello winery is worthy of being crowned a landmark of Italian wine. They make one Barolo every year that is a blend of small plots of vineyards. Their dolcetto is considered the greatest. The barbera is the easy drinking wine we wish we saw more. It seems like an impossible feat to triumph the greatness of Bartolo’s wines, however, his daughter Maria Teresa has done it. She has kept the winery largely the same while devoting an unprecedented amount of care and attention to every bottle. These are the glory years of Barolo. These are only going to become more rare. You’ll love this if you like northern Rhône syrah or Beaujolais.

Tastes like: Wild raspberry, cardamom, licorice.
How to drink: Slightly chilled. This is a wine that is serious but rarely considered as such.

Cruse Wine, North Coast Red Blend 'Monkey Jacket' 2019

Michael Cruse makes this thirst-quenching red from valdique and carignan– two grapes you don’t ever hear about in California. You’ll like it if you like French reds like Beaujolais, or Italian reds like frappato from Sicily.

Tastes like: Raspberry, rhubarb, and black pepper.
How to drink: Chill and drink with pepperoni pizza or al pastor tacos.