INSIDER'S PICK: 2013 VIETTI BARBERA d'ASTI 'TRE VIGNE' $19.99

Since everyone will be hunkering down this weekend watching the snow pile up, chances are very good most people will be cooking up lots of comfort foods to feed on after shoveling the walk, cross country skiing, or fort making. Lots of stews, roasts, and hearty pasta dishes will be on the table, meals that are cooked slow and eaten quickly to refuel the body. Your favorite red wine is always a fine choice (especially when you can't leave the house for three more days anyway), but one of the best go-to wines has been from personal experience a quality Barbera from the Piedmont. Almost anything savory and rich works well, handles braised or saucy textures, and drinks hearty without feeling thick or heavy on the palate, which would kill off its food-friendliness. Vietti is one of the great names in the Piedmont, and this bottling from older vines in the under-appreciated Asti region is routinely among the best values you can find for this quality.
Lots of dried cherry and red fruit aromas that hint at earth and anise in the background that always keep a sense of tartness to the nose, even with some time open. The palate feels full at first and shows some of the dried red fruits at first, getting drier and earthier the longer they are on the palate and finishes with lots of savory energy. With time the red fruits linger longer and get more flesh, but the palate is always about the lively earthy flavors. People that may want a bit more juiciness might not enjoy this as much on its own, but this is ideal for the dinner table, elevating the savory elements in the food which will in turn bring out more of the fruit from the wine. ​