List of Best Red Wines 🍷🍇
This list focuses on the grape varieties used to make the best red wines popular around the world. After the grapes are grown, ripened, bottled and labelled in wineries and vineyards they end up in your local wine merchant, liquor store or supermarket where choosing the best red wines can be confusing – ADDucation is here to help.
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Grape Variety 🍇 | Origin | Color | Character | Cultivation / Grown | Best Red Wines Notes |
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Barbera | Piedmont region, Italy | deep red | Powerful red wines with a pronounced plum flavor and low tannins. |
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Cabernet Franc | Bordeaux region, France | light red | Fruity, lighter than its big brother Cabernet Sauvignon. |
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Mainly blended, base of many famous Bordeaux wines. |
Cabernet Sauvignon | Bordeaux region, France | black | Aged 15-18 months in oak barrels and there develops vanilla aroma reminiscent of currants and licorice. |
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High susceptibility to vine diseases (powdery mildew). |
Carignan | Aragon (Spain) | dark red | Tannin and acid-rich with slight plum and fig aroma. |
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Susceptible to mildew, blend for Rioja wines. |
Grenache (Garnacha) | North-East Spain | light red | Low tannins, alcohol rich yet soft, fruity flavor. |
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Often used in rosé, resistant to heat, wind and drought. |
Lambrusco | Emilia-Romagna region, Italy | dark red | Sweet, fruity with a light mousse, should be drunk young. |
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Malbec | Cahors region, SW France | black-purple | Fruity spices with notes of plum and tobacco. |
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Very susceptible to frost. |
Merlot | Bordeaux region, France | purple | Soft, slightly plummy taste, medium alcohol content. |
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High proportion in Cuvee (blends) of Bordeaux wines. |
Montepulciano | Abruzzo region, Italy | intense red | Delicately aromatic, smooth taste, dry and rich in alcohol. |
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Good for storing but can also be drunk young. |
Pinot Noir (Pinot Burgundy) | Probably Burgundy, France | brick-red | Velvety, with fine acidity, berry and cherry aromas. |
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Quality grape, important ingredient of Champagne; thin-skinned. Ideal soil is chalky clay. |
Sangiovese | Tuscany, Italy | purple | Strong acid and tannin structure with intense cherry aroma. |
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Main Chianti component. The name derives from Latin for “blood of love”. |
Syrah (Shiraz) | Rhone Valley | dark red | Tannic with peppery spices and strong blackcurrant aroma. |
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Tempranillo | La Rioja (Spain) | deep red | Strong, fruity, with hints of vanilla, tobacco and plums. |
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Noblest grape in Spain, blend for Rioja. |
One More List For the Road? Or Not…
- Best White Wines list…
- Guide to the danger of alcohol abuse in later life…
- Alcoholic Drinks…
- ADDucation’s best red wines list compiled by Robert Junker, last updated 18 Aug 2024.
- Spotted a mistake or a grape variety which should be on our list of best red wines? Let us know in the comments below…