5 wines for holiday entertaining and other winter drinking

(Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)

This week’s wines include a bargain bubbly for holiday entertaining, some hearty reds from the Rhone Valley and the Texas High Plains, and a Portuguese charmer for welcoming St. Nick down the chimney on Christmas Eve.

★ ★ ★

Rhone Valley, France, $34

Big and sturdy, this hearty red will help rich winter dishes stick to your ribs. I’m going to be unconventional and recommend chilling it, then decanting it an hour before drinking. That should coax more of the fruit flavors out of this earthy, brooding wine. Alcohol by volume: 14.5 percent.

Dionysus: Available in the District at MacArthur Beverages, Rodman’s, Wagshal’s Deli, Whole Foods Market (Foggy Bottom, P Street). Available in Maryland at Balducci’s and Bradley Food & Beverage in Bethesda. Available in Virginia at Arrowine and Cheese in Arlington, Balducci’s (Alexandria, McLean), Oakton Wine Shop, Unwined (Alexandria, Belleview), Whole Foods Market (Vienna).

★ ★ ¹ / ₂

Douro Valley, Portugal, $25

White port is often used in cocktails, and I enjoyed this one with a slice of orange and a splash of sparkling water. But aging for eight years in oak casks gives this wine a rich character that deserves to shine by itself, with flavors of roasted nuts and candied orange. Serve it well chilled as an aperitif with charcuterie, or with dessert. A delicious novelty. ABV: 20 percent.

M Touton: Available in the District at Ace Beverage, Capital City Wine & Spirits, Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits, Connecticut Avenue Wine & Liquor, Eye Street Cellars, Harry’s Reserve Fine Wine & Spirits, Magruder’s, Paul’s of Chevy Chase, Wine Specialist. Available in Maryland at Beer, Wine & Co. in Bethesda; College Square Liquors in Westminster; Colonial Liquors and Rosewick Wine & Spirits in LaPlata; Dunkirk Wine & Spirits; Frederick Wine House, Old Farm Liquors, Riverside Liquors, Viniferous and Ye Old Spirit Shop in Frederick; Silesia Liquors in Fort Washington; the Wine Shoppe in Waldorf; Thirsty’s Wine and Spirits in Oxen Hill. Virginia Imports in Virginia: Available at Chain Bridge Cellars in McLean, Total Wine & More (Fredericksburg); on the list at Del Rey Cafe in Alexandria.

★ ★

Penedes, Spain, $13

This lovely, crisp and refreshing bubbly is made in the trendy style of the most sought-after grower champagnes: with no dosage, or added sugar (thus the “brut nature” nomenclature). This is yet another example of why cava is a favorite sparkling wine for budget-conscious wine lovers. ABV: 11.5 percent.

Elite: Available in the District at Bloomingdale Liquor, D’Vines, Prego Again, Rodman’s, Streets Market and Cafe, Tunnel Wines & Spirits, Whole Foods Market (Georgetown); on the list at Ankara, B Too, Belga Café, Bidwell, Brasserie Beck, Jaleo, Mango Tree, Marcel’s, Taberna del Alabardero, Toro Toro. Available in Maryland at Annebeth’s and Crush Winehouse in Annapolis, Beers & Cheers in Germantown, Capital Beer & Wine in Bethesda, Finewine.com in Gaithersburg, King Farm Beer & Wine in Rockville, Lenox Beer & Wine and Veridian Market & Wine in Silver Spring, Valley Village Wine & Spirits in Owings Mills, Wine Bin in Ellicott City; on the list at Brasserie Beck in Kentlands, Founding Farmers in Potomac, Urban Heights and Wildwood Kitchen in Bethesda. Available in Virginia at Cheesetique (Alexandria, Shirlington); Gourmet Center & Delicatessen and Streets Market and Cafe in Alexandria; on the list at Brine in Fairfax, Founding Farmers Tysons, Mussel Bar and SER in Arlington, the New Bridge in Warrenton, Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro in Reston.

★ ★

Texas High Plains, Texas, $18

A Rhone-style blend of grenache, mourvedre, carignan, petite sirah and syrah, this stylish wine from pioneer Texas vintner Kim McPherson is an excellent partner for red meat and poultry dishes. It also is delicious on its own, so it will be a nice one for pulling parlor tricks on your friends and surprising them with a Texas wine. ABV: 13.8 percent.

Siema: Available in the District at Arrowine and Spirits, Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits; on the list at Bin 1301 Wine Bar, Chaplin’s, Radius Pizza, Table. Available in Maryland at Fenwick Beer & Wine in Silver Spring. Available in Virginia at Bombolini Pasta in Richmond, Little Washington Winery Tasting Room in Washington, Norm’s Beer & Wine in Vienna, Planet Wine & Gourmet in Alexandria, Unwined (Alexandria, Belleview), the Whole Ox in Marshall; on the list at America Eats and Eddie V’s in Tysons Corner, Public Fish & Oyster and Tavola in Charlottesville; Southbound in Richmond.

★ ★

Alentejano, Portugal, $11

I couldn’t resist including this wine for the holiday season, but it makes a delightful house red any time of year. It is a tasty blend made from aragonez, trincadeira and castelão grapes and demonstrates why Portugal bottles should be on every wine lover’s list of bargains. The distributor just switched vintages to the 2014, but don’t hesitate to grab the 2012 if you find it. ABV: 14 percent.

Country Vintner: Available in the District at 1 West Dupont Circle Wine & Liquors, Freedom Market, Rodman’s; on the list at Flight Wine Bar. Available in Virginia at the Vineyard in McLean.