There is a curious range of volcanic hills that rise out of the Po River basin a little way south of Verona where Bordeaux varieties were planted in the 18th century to satisfy the taste of Venetian nobles. The Colli Euganei remains an island of Francophile vines, but that’s where the similarity to Bordeaux ends, because the wines of Vignalta are pure Italian charm. The Rosso Riserva is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that spends three years resting in barrel before bottling. The aromas are rich and effusive: tobacco and tomato leaf, blackcurrant and raspberry, rosemary and sage and potting soil. The tannins frame a hearty palate gently, they’re smooth yet substantial, giving plenty of room for blackberries and currants and orange oil, baking spices and roasted coffee and notes of dried fruit that emerge on the finish. This is wine for cold, rainy days with stew, or serious barbecue spreads. Among meats, steak is the obvious choice.