2019 Wilson Foreigner Valdiguie Rancho Chimiles Napa Valley 750 ml

This is history in a glass.

The 2019 Wilson Foreigner Valdiguié is a throwback to Napa’s past, when this grape was plentiful in California, and prized for its ability to make large amounts of deeply-colored wine with refreshing acidity. But the variety fell into obscurity, with many vintners ripping out their Valdiguié vines in favor of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Today, Valdiguié is making a comeback as a new generation of winemakers are experimenting with varieties from decades past. Their results prove that the Napa Valley wine spectrum can include light, fresh, crave-worthy reds like this 93-point Wilson Foreigner Rancho Chimiles Valdiguié. A light and lively red wine that manages to be complex and layered yet fun and easy-drinking at the same time, it’s one that Wine Enthusiast called “perennially beguiling and inviting” and “simply delicious.”

Wilson Foreigner winemaker Dave Wilson grew up among Valdiguié vines planted in 1972 at his family’s Napa farm, Rancho Chimiles. When he started his own label, he decided to make a varietal wine from the two remaining acres of the property’s nearly 50-year-old vines.

“Our approach is always to have a light touch in the cellar,” says Wilson. “We want to preserve aromatics, acidity, and the characteristics of each vineyard we work with.”

Though this is the kind of thirst-quenching wine that you’ll want to chill slightly and drink by the case year-round, it really shines when paired with food. Wilson calls it his weeknight wine; he’s yet to find a meal that it doesn’t pair well with. From sweet and spicy barbecue ribs in the summer to savory Thanksgiving turkey, this is one of the most versatile reds we’ve come across.