The best red wine for beginners!

[justanothermanicmonday1]

Hello all,

I never drink red wine, usually gin or rosè.

Would love to pair some red wine with our dinner (roast beef joint/chicken with all the trimmings.

What's the best wine to start with? Nothing too strong, and relatively easy to drink.

Thank you.

Something like Shiraz or Merlot is a good starter IMO.
I'm not a fan of dry spicy reds and usually stick to anything that is described on the bottle as smooth and mellow.

Look out for "19 Crimes" red wines - they come under names such as "Uprising" and "Banished".

They are around £8 - £10 a bottle are are amazing.
Really rich and full bodied but not tart or vinegary.

I absolutely love them.

Pinot noir?
Or merlot, think I have only ever had one bad merlot.

I tend to stick to french wines depends on your budget.

Have a look through some newspaper wine critic recommendations they give options from Aldi - Waitrose and more independent suppliers.

Majestic will let you test or at least have some to test but I think you need to buy bulk but you can pop in and ask for advise.

Head to lidl - their wine tour stand has ratings , anything over 85% is worth a try. Alternatively their Bordeaux superior is my go to for cheapish red wine. The chianti is good too

A pinot noir is quite light. Shiraz tends to be round and almost sweet but watch the alcohol content. Some are absolute belters at 13.5% upwards.

I would sign up to a local wine tasting evening- independent wine shops offer these regularly/ the perfect way to work out what you like. If you live in London you can go to a vagabond to try tiny portions of wine too

Chianti.

I don't think I've ever had an unpleasant Merlot.

I was going to say the same! Or Jam Shed are all pretty innoffensive.

Generic Blossom Hill red got my husband drinking red wine and now he drinks all sorts.

Very fruity and very drinkable. I use it for San gria now. Avoid malbecs as they can be very strong.

Grey label mcguigan estate cab sav is also delicious though you can only get it in Asda now!

Tesco do a good range of red wine. Definitely stick with French wine. Agree with above comments that Merlot is a good option. I really like the screen shot wine too. I got dh a vintage bottle direct from the vineyard last Christmas.

Another vote for Jamshed. The Malbec is very soft and fruity. Quite often on offer at Tescos.

Lidl wine tour is always a good shout. It's a limited range, gets repeated fairly often so it's easy to get to know what you like.

I find Beaujolais very easy drinking, Lidl often has a Fleurie.

The other one I'd recommend to start with is Recioto di Valpolicella, they had it on the normal shelf last week.

Personally I can't stand Merlot or Malbec so tastes are really individual.

I used to work in the industry, and I really rate Tesco Finest reds. Tesco Finest Marlborough Pinot Noir is incredibly nice and fits what you're asking for and it's only a tenner. It's fairly light-bodied for a red, this particuarly is really fragrant and almost floral, and the oak is super light. It's gorgeous.

You'd also like Beaujolais - look for Fleurie, which is easy to get and is always lovely. Except the Sainsburys one with the flowers on a whitish label, which is kind of disappointing.

You'd probably also really like Chianti Riserva (it's better than Chianti Classico).

I would go for a decent beaujolais or a Pinot noir.

Jam shed malbec is my go-to! Very easy drinking, 7 quid a bottle in asda this week 🍷

Jammy Red Roo by Yellowtail slips down sooooo nicely!!! Very soft flavours.

Cote du rhone, medium bodied grenache and not expensive, my youngling day go to. After which you can build up x

If you like sweet then Jam Shed but it's still pretty strong and very easy to drink too much!

I like Chianti, Pinot noir and for Christmas it will be Chateau nef de pap (don't judge my spelling!)

Yes, came on to say Jammy Red Roo, absolutely love it

Definitely Jamshed for a new red wine drinker. It's often on offer somewhere, so maybe worth a Google or checking online to see where if you can shop about. Not very tanin-y so definitely good to start. I recommend enjoying it in front of a fire if at all possible.

Enjoy trying new things, you don't have to spend a fortune despite what some will tell you with their humble brags of expensive vintage wines!

I love Jammy Red Roo too - I'm also more of a gin drinker too. I find wine quite hard to drink sometimes but Jammy Red is lovely.

Also, now hear me out...Snoop Dogg has a red wine that is absolutely delicious. It's quite pricey at £11 a bottle. We tried it for a laugh one weekend and now it's our favourite wine! The reviews say the same.

Barolo or Yellow Label for a more budget friendly option but Barolo wins every time for me personally.

I was going to say that you can barely go wrong with a Côtes du Rhône, wherever it is from, but I am very willing to try all these suggested by others as well!

I was also going to recommend pinot noir! Sainsburys and Aldi both do red wine from the Douro region of Portugal and I’ve always found those to be very smooth and drinkable. For something more full-bodied, Malbec is great.