When winter rolls around, there’s nothing quite like cozying up to a bold bottle of red. And Italian red wines are particularly delicious picks when it comes to pairing them with your warming winter bowls of polenta, pasta or roasted meats. So, grab your plates of braised short ribs, Risotto alla Milanese or orecchiette with greens and sausage, and pour yourself a glass of these top-rated red Italian wines.

Plus, you can read up on our best Italian wines and the best Italian wines to cellar for more picks, or find budget-friendly options on our rundown of the best Italian wines for $15 or less. Check out our beginner’s guides to Italian wine and bottlings from Italy’s Piedmont region for a full breakdown, but to begin, these are some of the most popular red grapes grown in Italy and the type of wine they’re known for producing.