Cesanese del Piglio is the first DOCG of Lazio, the region where Rome is located. This means it's been rated one of the highest-quality Italian wines.

The beautiful wine grape grows in the foothills of the Apennines Mountains.

Cesanese has aromas of cherry, sweet spices, roses, and often black pepper. The tannins are pretty light, too, so bottles don't have to age long to be enjoyed.

It pairs best with fresh pasta dishes, heavy meat sauces, and seasonal porcini mushrooms.

When most people think of zinfandel, they picture the pink-hued boxes of white zinfandel from the '80s and '90s.

This hasn't given it the best reputation among wine drinkers and professionals.

However, winemakers in California have started to reimagine zinfendel. They're making gorgeous, robust reds from the old white-zin vines.

These are well-constructed, spicy wines with lots of dark berry aromas. They're often labeled "jammy," so if you like a fruit-forward bottle, this is for you.

I go to the Dolomites in the Italian Alps every summer to eat and drink the region's best food and wine.

Nothing tops a well-made glass of teroldego for me. When I open a bottle back at home near Rome, I'm immediately transported to those alpine summers. Think wild berries, pine needles, freshly turned earth, cut grass, mountain streams, and medicinal herbs.

The flavor is complex and bright, and it's perfect to pair with the region's heavier cuisine, such as polenta with chanterelle mushrooms, knödel, and fondue.

I always have a case in my cellar.

Sparkling reds aren't as well known as their white counterparts, but they are the perfect pizza wine. I like to keep some on hand for more casual dinners and gatherings.

One of the most famous sparkling reds is Lambrusco from Emilia Romagna. However, winemakers worldwide are producing delicious, naturally sparkling reds in the pet-nat style.

The best ones are made from high-acidity red-wine grapes. Look for sparkling shiraz, dry Lambrusco, Gamay-based vin du bugey, and my personal favorite, barbera frizzante. It's made from the barbera grape and is known for its high acidity and food friendliness.

Saperavi, originating in the country of Georgia, is one of the oldest known domesticated red grapes in the world. Today, you can find bottles from Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Australia, and even the Finger Lakes in New York.

These wines look almost black because they contain high levels of anthocyanins (water-soluble pigments).

The wine is often complex, with aromas of cassis, blackberries, spice, earthiness, cherries, leather, and licorice. A bold glass of saperavi is great on its own, but it also pairs well with lamb or game dishes and cheese-based sauces.

Today's rosé wines go beyond the blush-pink bottles of yesteryear. I love that they can give you the flavors of beloved red-wine grapes without the heaviness.

I lean toward deep-hued rosés made from grapes like grenache, Sangiovese, teroldego, and even cabernet sauvignon. Italians also have a long history of producing darker rosato wines such as Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo and Cerasuolo di Vittoria.

If you can't decide between red and white next time you're hosting, this is a great compromise.

Assyrtiko, sometimes spelled Asyrtiko, is a white-wine grape that originated on the Greek island of Santorini. However, it has since spread to South Africa, California, and even North Carolina.

I love Assyrtiko because it's high in acid, incredibly fresh, and food-friendly. It can be pretty citrusy on the palate, with notes of guava and minerals.

With its high acidity, it's a great wine to pair with a cheese plate or charcuterie board at a holiday party.

I recently visited Armenia for a wine-tourism conference and fell in love with its white wines. The Asian country, like Georgia, is one of the oldest wine regions in the world, with thousands of years of winemaking history under its belt.

I was impressed by the variety and high quality of wines I tried there.

Armenia is better known for its brandy, but if you find any white wine, grab it.

These wines pair perfectly with the highly aromatic cuisines of Armenia and Iran, and they'll also go well with Thai and Vietnamese food.

Most white wines are made by fermenting the juice, resulting in the pale hue we all recognize. Amber wines, also known as orange wines, are different because they achieve color through skin contact or maceration, like red wines.

Although they're made with white grapes, the result is various hues of amber with unique textures, tannins, and flavors.

This style of wine originated in Georgia, but it is now produced in winemaking regions around the world.

Amber wines are delicious, fun, and sometimes ethereal, so I always look for them on a wine menu at a restaurant or bar. It makes me think the curator there knows what's up.

I always call Chenin Blanc the greatest wine grape on earth — it never fails me. It grows worldwide, but its home is the Loire Valley in France, and there's a high concentration of vineyards in South Africa.

The grape is actually used to make various wines, from refreshing sparkling bottles to dry, sweet, and golden-hued varieties. I love them all, especially a dry, tart Vouvray.

Expect flavors of apples and pear, honey, light tea, and persimmon. These wines are perfect with goat cheese, fattier fish like sardines and tuna, and pasta.

If Chenin Blanc is the world's greatest wine grape, garganega is Italy's best white grape.

The Italian white wine is wonderful and young. As it ages, it evolves from stone fruit, melon, and citrus aromas to more citrus peel and nutty aromas.

The fresh wine has a medium body and is a great alternative to pinot grigio. Try garganega with shellfish and richer dishes seasoned with fresh herbs or butter.

I live near Rome and like to drink locally, so I often reach for wines from my Lazio region of Italy.

Roman cuisine is heavy, so I want a wine that can stand up to the sharp and salty flavors of pecorino Romano cheese. The most popular blends are made from malvasia and trebbiano grapes.

These wines are aromatic, with notes of citrus, tropical fruit, and white flowers, but they're also very acidic and thirst-quenching. I like to pair them with a plate of carbonara.

On my wine tours, I meet many different people with varying tastes — including those who are what we call "ABC" (anything but chardonnay) drinkers.

Many people don't like it, but I think it's a real shame. I love chardonnay so much that I named my dog after it.

The grapes grow worldwide, but their reputation can't seem to shake the overly oaked, buttery California chardonnays of the '80s and '90s.

Those styles still exist, but that's not all there is to the wine. When made well, it can be complex, with notes of lemon, apples, tropical fruits, stone fruits, cherry blossom, orange zest, flint, jasmine, and nuts. There's something for everyone.

Because chardonnay isn't particularly acidic, it can be enjoyed on its own without the need to be tamed by food. However, it also pairs well with soft cheeses, vegetarian cuisine, mushrooms, and fresh herbs.