Ercole is project of importer The Piedmont Guy, who has succeeded in producing the top selling rosé at Streetcar for the past few vintages, Ercole Rosato. Working with the same cooperative for that rosé of barbera, the bianco is mostly cortese, the prized variety of Gavi, which isn't too far from Monferrato. Enlivened with a touch of chardonnay and sauvignon, this crisp, herbaceous white makes a great apéritif alongside charcuterie, or let it take on any manner of vegetarian or light seafood entrées.

Domaine de l'Olivette has been in the same family for over 200 years, making it one of the oldest wine estates in Bandol (Provence). It began as a farmhouse surrounded by wheat fields, fruit orchards and olive groves and slowly transformed over time into a 50 hectare estate that made its definitive move into vine growing and winemaking around 1930. The land is located about 6 miles off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the town of Castellet where the vines adorn the restanques (ancient stone terraces) built into the hillsides. Current owner Jean-Luc Dumotier farms the vineyards organically and lets the terroir shine in the winemaking process. Named "Mare Nostrum", the historic Latin name for the Mediterranean (literally, "Our Sea"), this blend of typical Provençal white varieties is an assertive, generous drink that wants to be a starfish and eat all the mollusks. Clams, scallops, mussels -- put 'em in a pot with some broth, or toss them with garlic and butter with fresh pasta!

Elisabetta Geppetti is the head of Fattoria Le Pupille, a family run winery located in the Maremma region along Tuscany's southern coast. She took over the estate in 1985 at just 20 years old and played an important role in elevating the region to international prominence by producing one of the first "Super Tuscan" wines with her flagship "Saffredi" blend. She also became the first president of the Morellino di Scansano consortium in addition to being its most important producer (Scansano is the medieval hilltop village where the estate is located and "Morellino" is the local name for the sangiovese grape). Today, she runs the operation with her children Clara and Ettore. "Le Pupille" Morellino di Scansano is the most important wine to the family in terms of production and a proper intro to the house style. It's made from 90% sangiovese and 10% ciliegolo & alicante. It's medium bodied with crunchy red fruit, spice and smooth tannins and will pair well with a bean soup like Ribollita.

Coto de Gomariz is run by the Carreiro family in D.O. Ribeiro (within Galicia) in northwest Spain. Viticulture in the area dates back to the 10th century and was run by various churches until the 1970s when ownership was transferred to different wineries and small-scale growers. One of these owners was Ricardo Carreiro, who then began the process of recovering and planting native grape varieties. By 1980, they bottled their first wines and over the decades since, they've transitioned their vineyards to organic and biodynamic practices. Galicia is renowned for its crisp, minerally white wines like Albariño and Treixadura but here we have a lesser known native red variety called Sousón (or "Vinhão" in Portugual). The grapes are hand harvested from young vines in their Gomariz valley vineyards, then fermented in stainless steel before getting a 4 month rest in French oak barrels. Enjoy the juicy red & black fruits, herbs and spice with pork tenderloin or Arroz con Pollo.

For over five generations, the Chabbert family has farmed the schistose hillsides of Faugères at Mas du Colombel. Few winegrowers can boast a closer connection to the deep history of their region. Based out of Château de Coussiniojouls—which retains vestiges of an ancient Middle Ages castle—the family vineyard has been part of the property for generations, though the current estate was established in the 1970s. Established as a distinct appellation in 1982, the region's unique soils yield deeply colored, expressive red blends with balanced acidity and strong mineral and blackberry notes. Full-bodied and firmly structured, this distinctly Old World-style red offers notes of pepper, tea, smoked meat, and black fruit. Pairs nicely with red meat or bean stews.

Franco Serra is made by the Sperone family, who've been producing great value Italian wines for four generations. Antonio Sperone owned a shop in Torino in the early 20th century. Dissatisfied with the quality of wines he was seeing, he started making wine in Puglia and bottling it in Torino. The project soon expanded to include sparkling wines and vermouth. Siblings Andrea and Francesca run things today from their winery in Piedmont. This light-bodied, dry Pinot has great rose petal and violet aromas with bright cherry, strawberry, and raspberry flavors, plus soft, silky tannins. What fascinates us is how recognizable it is both as varietal pinot noir and as a red from Piedmont. As great a pair with roast poultry as it is with classic pastas.