Château Pape-Clement was named for Pope Clement V, the 14th-century French pope who caused a major upheaval in the Catholic church when he briefly moved the papacy to Avignon. The wines are considered elegant, complex and distinctive.

Gaja’s wines are among Italy’s most distinctive, and as a businessman and winemaker, patriarch Angelo Gaja has always been visionary. Inspired by French wines, Gaja in the 1970s advocated for better quality Italian wines, leading with his own.

Tua Rita is one of the relatively young, upstart producers in coastal Tuscany that have become Italian “cult” producers. The family-run operation makes Super Tuscans as well as Syrah, Merlot and white wines.