Sous la Montagne, Fitou (Roussillon, France) 2017

 From the foothills of France’s Pyrénées Mountains comes this utterly satisfying deep red wine.  I use the word “deep” to cover many different facets of this blend of Carignan (50%), Syrah (27%) and Grenache (23%), including its purple/red color, its intense flavors and its plush, textured finish.  This is a gorgeous wine to pair with just about any meaty dish (it rocks with lamb!) but it will also rise to the occasion with tomato-based pasta preparations or moussaka as well as most other dishes centered on eggplant.