Beat the February blahs with these hearty red wines

With all due respect to April, February surely ranks as the cruelest month. Weather-wise, it’s generally gray, cold and miserable from bitter start to bitter finish. Socially, there’s no major holiday to look forward to, unless Valentine’s Day or Family Day factor as significant dates in your calendar.

With no sun and sand vacation on the horizon, I look to hibernating at home. It’s a time to make a virtue of cooking up hearty dishes that combat the dank and the dark.

All of that roasting, baking, braising or grilling of comforting dishes typically lends itself to the red wine spectrum, which had me pouring over recent tasting notes in search of the best value bottles on offer.

This trio includes two wellknown producers — Fetzer from California and Frescobaldi from Tuscany — and one that should enjoy wider respect. The Zuccardi family is making great strides in Argentina, inspiring a fine wine renaissance in Mendoza with the creation of an impressive new facility in the Altamira region of the Uco Valley. That quality focus is sure to influence winemaking across the board going forward.

Prices vary across the country, but these are widely available selections that offer a lot of wine for the price. They have the stuffing to be enjoyable now and promise to work equally well come barbecue season and beyond.