Before we make a flurry of New Year’s resolutions, let’s enjoy these last few dark days of December with some red wines that are perfect for curling up with. These selections will pair well with binge-watching a favourite series on Netflix, diving into a good novel, and ignoring household chores. Should it be chilly or rainy, I’m not making you go far—they’re all widely available in B.C. Liquor Stores. 

Planeta 2013 Etna Rosso
(Sicily, Italy, $29.99)
Out of the area’s volcanic soils comes this wine made entirely from Nerello Mascalese, a grape variety native to the region. Plenty of bright and zippy red fruit sings with distinctive Italian flair, while six months in second- and third-use French oak cradles it all quite well. Fresh acidity and a light dusting of basil and oregano will suit pastas in tomato sauce, where you can feel free to add a hearty handful of those herbs. Sure, it’s a tad pricey for everyday drinking, but let’s give it some extra points for being grown on the side of an earthquake-prone, active volcano. 

Louis Latour 2011 Bourgogne Gamay
(Burgundy, France, $25.99)
The newish Bourgogne Gamay regional appellation means a wine’s Gamay grapes have to be sourced from the highly touted crus, or subdistricts, of Beaujolais. In this case, we have grapes hailing from three of ’em—Fleurie, Régnié, and Chénas,—topped off with 15 percent Pinot Noir. On the nose, it’s an autumnal walk through the forest, with dried leaves, currants, and wild mushrooms aplenty. It’s good and juicy too, offering blueberries, plums, and perhaps even a nod to Welch’s grape juice. A little bit of French oak keeps everything in place, adding a good dose of weight that will help it stand up to meatier dishes.

Bodega Sierra Norte 2011 Pasión de Bobal
(Utiel-Requena, Spain, $18.99)
Bobal is the indigenous grape variety that this Valencian charmer is made from, and it accounts for almost 90 percent of wines made in the province’s Utiel-Requena region. It’s a medium-sized and thick-skinned late ripener that makes for a hearty wine perfumed with dark fruit and cassis, with flavours of dried berries, dates, and black olives, and it’s all balanced out by fresh acidity and well-woven tannins. This is chewy, stain-your-teeth fare that will be a hit with stews and braised meats.

Falernia 2010 Syrah Reserva
(Elqui Valley, Chile, $18.99)
For most of its history, Chile’s Elqui Valley was mostly known for growing table grapes and papayas, and distilling pisco, the country’s national spirit. Recent vineyard plantings take advantage of silt-laden, chalky soils along with vineyards around the 2,000-metre mark that lend a cooler climate tailor-made for bright, buoyant acidity. Syrah is quickly becoming the critical darling of the area, in this case bringing intoxicating aromatics of roasted coffee beans, cracked pepper, violets, and lilacs that’ll have you swooning before your first sip. Once you take that sip, you’ll enjoy all of its elements: fresh-carved roast beef, black fruit, licorice, and anise. Further sips bring even more character with a spoonful of blackberry jam, a baker’s rack of spices, and more. This should be a $25 wine, but let’s keep that between us. In fact, for even more of a bargain, it’s $1 off through January 3. Stock up!

Laya 2013 Garnacha Tintorera/Monastrell
(Almansa, Spain, $15.99)
Dark, rich, and brooding, this decadent Spanish red swims in stewed cherries and dark chocolate, capped off by a spark of clove that brings a little heat. I wouldn’t say it has an abundance of complexity, but what I like is that it manages to walk that fine line between being opulent and being cloying without tripping towards the latter.

Osoyoos Larose 2011 Pétales d’Osoyoos
(Okanagan Valley, B.C., $25)
This consistent quality, local take on a sturdy Bordeaux red is built from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. More about the sum than its parts, this is an ode to the desert climate of Osoyoos with fragrant wild berries and fresh sagebrush, then layer upon layer of cocoa, dark fruit, espresso, roasted red bell pepper, currants, and dried herbs. There’s often a lament that we have to spend an arm and a leg if we’re looking for this style of wine in our own back yard. The quality here surpasses many a pricier bottle. If one of your resolutions is to start keeping a bit of a wine cellar, this is an affordable keeper that’ll lie down for at least three to five years. It’s still quite young, but it’s approachable enough right now, particularly at the dinner table if you’re tucking into grilled meats. If you can, decant it before drinking, just to help things open up.