Chianti isn’t for everyone. With a traditionally tannic (thanks in part to lots of oak aging), earthy and rustic nature, it tends not to be your everyday sipping red wine. And it is generally a downright bad food pairing for lighter fare, such as salads or seafood.

But with enough acid to balance that rustic edge, it usually makes for a great pairing if you’ve got hearty, meaty Italian food on the menu, particularly with red sauces, including pizza.

And if you really want to open up the food-pairing options for a friend or business associate, there’s an attractive three-bottle, wooden-boxed gift set of Castelli del Grevepesa Clemente VII wines for $84.95 (including two chiantis and a red blend) available at the LCBO beginning today. Courtesy Italy’s largest Chianti Classico family, with 120 associate winegrowers in its fold, each of the these Castelli del Grevepesa wines brings something a little different to the table.

Here’s a breakdown of the trio of offerings, along with another Italian wine that should have mass appeal among red lovers.

Castelli del Grevepesa Clemente VII Boxed Trio ($84.95)

Clemente VII Settimo 2016
Aged 15 months in oak barriques and a few years more in the bottle, here’s a “Super Tuscan” blend of 50% Sangiovese and 25% each of Merlot and Syrah from the hills north and east of the Tuscan town of town of Lucca. Cherries carry the load of dark red fruit, with figs in support, and earth, leather and pepper adding to the nose. Tannins are there for support, but they’re fine-grained and quite smooth. A really good pairing for aged cheeses and grilled meats. 89

Clemente VII Chianti Classico 2019
A 100% Sangiovese with a bright but smoky cherry/raspberry aroma. Some vanilla, rich earth and other oaked notes in there too, as well as menthol deep in the glass. Medium+ in body. There’s a mere powdery grip of tannins, which makes this rather silky on the palate for a chianti. 89

Clemente VII Chianti Classico Riserva 2018
There’s an intriguing herbal nature to this 100% Sangiovese—sort of a medicinal eucalyptus note—as well as tobacco, leather and dark chocolate complementing the cherry/plum red fruit. Medium but grippy tannins, with the cherries being more dried on the palate. Medium- to full-bodied, with a medium-length finish. Pair it up with a casserole or medium-strength cheeses. 89

Amastuola Primitivo 2019 – Puglia, Italy ($15.95)
On the easy drinking side, here’s an organic, medium-plus-bodied Primitivo (Italy’s Zinfandel). This features all the lush dark fruit (plum, blackberry, black cherry, raisins) you’d expect from this grape but, at just 8 g/L, without the sappy sweetness that so often accompanies it. Forest berry jam to the palate, with a touch of earthy spice to keep it on the drier side. Medium tannins. Medium+ in body. The length isn’t huge, but the value is solid. 88