Here's a contemporary and stylized wine to pair with a thick lamb or goat stew. The hearty Castello Monaci 2016 Primitivo Artas is bold and beautiful, with dense tones of blackberry, spice, smoke and sweet chewing tobacco, stuffed tightly into a full-bodied frame. The alcohol is measured at a robust 16.5%, and the wine is as thickly layered as it needs to be. Still, you'll want to serve this mighty red with a hearty winter dish, otherwise you risk masking any nuanced food flavors with the formidable power packed into this bottle.

Brandied cherries and blackberries are at the fore of this wine, with plenty of peppery spice chiming in. This is full in feel, with firm tannins and a hot finish.