As mentioned a couple weeks back, the Vancouver International Wine Festival returns this month, running February 20 to 28. Events and tastings continue to sell out, so do head to Vancouver Wine Festival website sooner rather than later to ensure you don’t miss all of the action.

With this year’s theme region being Italy, I thought I’d share a few gems to keep an eye out for in the big International Festival Tasting room. The best part is that even if you can’t make it to the festival this year, all of these are readily available in B.C. Liquor Stores, so you can gather some friends and create your own mini home version of things.

Argiano 2013 Rosso Di Montalcino DOC

($31.99)

Hailing from a 120-acre plot southwest of Montalcino in Tuscany, this medium-weighted Sangiovese instantly transports you to its sun-dappled vineyards. Violets, musk, and fresh potting soil make for lifted aromatics, while the palate is immersed in truffle, blackcurrants, fruity tobacco, peppered strawberries, leather, a crack of clove, and a good grip of tannin. You don’t need to get overly sophisticated with a food pairing here; a meaty pasta or sautéed sausages with beans should do the trick.

Tenuta Sette Ponti 2013 Crognolo IGT Toscana

($38.99)

Enter the Super Tuscan. Nope, that isn’t an Italian dude in a leotard, but a common, casual reference to wines of Tuscany that often have non-indigenous grape varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Syrah as components. In this case, we have the indigenous Sangiovese grape variety (Tuscany’s calling card, in fact), and it’s fleshed out with some ripe and juicy Merlot. Sweet blackberry jam and wet earth on the nose, plus a couple strands of strawberry Twizzlers thrown in for fun, lead to a wallop of red fruit rushing in on the palate, with thyme and oregano chasing its tail. Further sips see lilacs blooming and a dash of white pepper, a little strip of leather, and more red berries bounding along cheerily. Going back to the glass yet again (this won’t be a problem, I promise) will have you realizing what at first seemed a fairly easy and quaffable tipple is actually a wine worthy of carefully peeling back the layers.

Montresor 2012 Amarone Della Valpolicella DOCG

($40.99)

This right here is a monster, but a friendly one. The classic regional style employs partially dried grapes as part of the process, giving the final wine extra concentration and a bit more of a boozier style. Give it a good decanting, grab the biggest wineglass you’ve got, and get swirling. Initial notes of raisins, fresh-spent coffee grounds, and vanilla bean are abundant. On the palate, it’s waves and waves of concentrated blueberry and blackberry—almost like a compote with a splash of brandy thrown in, plus a little balsamic reduction and heat on the finish. It’s quite jammy, but there’s such bright acidity that it’ll actually make you say, “Yes, I would like another sip of this insanely concentrated, high-alcohol wine that’s destroying the enamel on my teeth. In fact, I’d like that next sip right now!” This is a good wine, as it’s only with food that you’ll find its elegance and discover tinges of character that aren’t necessarily apparent off the bat. Meaty stews, osso buco, wild-mushroom risotto, and other rich, stick-to-your-ribs kinds of dishes are ideal.

Ruffino 2010 Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Oro DOCG

($44.99)

A top-of-the-line favourite from producer Ruffino, the Riserva Ducale Oro is produced from various estate lots in the Castellina subregion of Chianti Classico. Not only is the wine harvested in separate lots, it’s vinified in separate lots as well, so each portion of the blend brings a specific representation of its respective terroir. Some neutral oak is used, but more to offer a little structure and backbone, not to impart extra flavour. The result is quite handsome, with dusty cocoa, leather, violets, and a few dashes of cardamom on the nose. A splash of cherry liqueur and ripe raspberries floods the palate, with a few shakes of pepper and some well-integrated tannins keeping everything in its place. Pretty textbook Chianti here, and a good balance between an old-school, leathery, barnyard-esque style and something a little more fruit-forward and bright.

While this issue of the Straight is on the streets, I’ll be in New York City with the Acorn, Main Street’s popular vegetable-forward restaurant. (I do some consulting on their wine program.) We’re doing a five-night pop-up restaurant from February 3 to 7 on the Lower East Side, and I’ve brought a handful of B.C. wines to proudly share some Okanagan cheer. Follow our adventures on Twitter @KurtisKolt and @AcornVancouver.