Red wine
882 red wines availableGood wine isn't about region; it's about profile. A light dish calls for a light, low-tannin red: Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cinsault. A rich dish calls for a full-bodied red, with enough substance to stand up to the fat: Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet.
We source from independent winemakers in 20 countries, from Chile to Armenia. Filter by profile, by country, by grape variety, or directly by the dish you're serving tonight. And if you're still unsure, our FAQ answers our most common questions.
Dona Paula - Seleccion De Bodega Malbec 2018
La sélection de la bodega chez Doña Paula, malbec profond, cuir et violette.
Dona Paula - Los Indios Malbec 2018
Malbec de climat frais à El Cepillo, poivre et violette sur une trame ferme.
Dona Paula - Los Cardos Red Blend 2018
Trois cépages, un rouge argentin rond et épicé qui passe tout seul à table.
Dona Paula - Los Cardos Malbec 2022
A beautiful representation of Argentinian Malbec
Dona Paula - Los Cardos Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Cassis et poivre, un cabernet argentin direct qui ne demande pas d'attente.
Dona Paula - Alluvia Malbec 2018
Un malbec de parcelle dans la vallée de Uco, dense, floral, bâti pour durer.
Clos De La Paix - Pinot Noir 2022
Pinot noir du sud du Cap, cerise et framboise sur une structure délicate.
Twomey - Merlot Napa Valley
Le merlot velouté de Napa, cerise et chocolat, sans la moindre aspérité.
Timeless - Napa Valley 2019
Un rouge de Napa dense, marqué par le cèdre et le tabac, qui gagne à vieillir.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - Hands Of Time 2018
L'entrée en matière de Stag's Leap, souple et fruitée, à ouvrir sans attendre.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - Cask 23 2020
Le sommet de Stag's Leap, un cabernet taillé pour vingt ans en cave.
Ovid - Napa Valley 2019
Puissance et vivacité dans un même verre, café, chocolat puis fruit mûr en finale.
Ovid - Hexameter 2017
Cacao, tabac et fruit noir, un assemblage de Napa à la texture veloutée.
Duckhorn - The Discussion 2018
Le fleuron de Duckhorn, fruits noirs, cèdre et tabac dans un assemblage taillé pour durer.
Duckhorn - Merlot 2022
Le merlot qui a fait la réputation de Duckhorn, prune, chocolat et cuir en fond.
Diemersfontein - Carpe Diem Pinotage 2021
Pinotage haut de gamme de Wellington, café torréfié et prune mûre, tanins polis.
Diemersfontein - Carpe Diem Malbec 2019
Malbec de Wellington, mûre et violette portées par une structure généreuse.
Diemersfontein - Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Cabernet sauvignon de Wellington, cassis et cèdre sur une trame tannique bien tenue.
Decoy - Zinfandel 2019
Mûre, prune et poivre noir, le zinfandel de Sonoma dans sa version gourmande.
Dalla Valle - Hillside 2019
L'entrée dans l'univers Dalla Valle, cerise, framboise et tanins souples.
Dalla Valle - Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Cassis, cerise noire, cèdre, un cabernet de Napa aux tanins denses et racés.
Creation - The Art Of Pinot Noir 2020
La cuvée d'apogée du domaine en pinot noir, cerise mûre, violette et fumé discret.
Creation - Pinot Noir Reserve 2021
La sélection des meilleures vignes du domaine, fruits noirs mûrs et minéralité fine.
Creation - Pinot Noir 2022
Pinot noir de climat frais, cerise et framboise sur une texture soyeuse.
Which red wine for which taste?
This is the most useful criterion when purchasing, and the most rarely offered. Each profile corresponds to a texture in the mouth: the quantity of tannins, the density of the matter, the presence of the fruit.
Light red
Low tannins, fresh red fruit, serve slightly chilled. Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cinsault.
215 wines · from €12.50Fruity red
Ripe fruit, roundness, melted tannins. The profile that everyone enjoys around a table.
166 wines · from €9.90Full-bodied red
Dense, black fruit, length. For red meats and stews.
296 wines · from €9.40Tannic red
Firm structure, high acidity, strong aging potential. Nebbiolo, xinomavro, tannat.
198 wines · from €9.40Soft red
Residual sugars, aromatic power. Ports, fortified wines, and naturally sweet wines.
7 wines · from €38.00
Red wine, country by country
The same grape variety does not produce the same wine depending on the climate. Syrah from the Rhône is peppery and taut; the same Syrah planted in Australia becomes round and jammy.
- English France58 wines
- 🇮🇹 Italy193 wines
- English United States128 wines
- 🇪🇸 Spain94 wines
- Argentina Argentina90 wines
- South Africa South Africa76 wines
- 🇨🇱 Chili70 wines
- 🇦🇺 Australia65 wines
- 🇵🇹 Portugal24 wines
- Switzerland Switzerland16 wines
- 🇬🇧 Greece16 wines
- New Zealand New Zealand31 wines
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The large regions in red
- Burgundy53 red
- Tuscany52 reds
- Piedmont20 red ones
Red grape varieties in the catalogue
The grape variety provides the structure; the climate provides the style. This table cross-references the two to save you from trial and error.
| Grape variety | Profile | Tannins | Dominant aromas | Model agreement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinot Noir | Light | Low | Sour cherry, undergrowth, rose | Roasted poultry, raclette |
| Syrah | Full-bodied | Medium to high | Black pepper, blackberry, olive | Rib of beef, lamb |
| Malbec | Full-bodied | Raised, velvety | Plum, violet, cocoa | Grilled meats, game |
| Cabernet Sauvignon | Tannic | Raised | Blackcurrant, bell pepper, cedar | Beef, mature cheese |
| Grenache | Fruity | Low to medium | Cooked strawberry, garrigue | Spicy dishes, tagine |
| Carménère | Full-bodied | Means | Sweet pepper, cocoa | Spicy dishes, chili |
| Pinotage | Fruity | Means | Plum, mocha, smoky | Barbecue, smoked meat |
| Merlot | Fruity | Flexible | Plum, black cherry | Poultry, stew |
| Nebbiolo | Tannic | Very high | Faded rose, tar, truffle | Lamb, aged cheese |
| Tempranillo | Full-bodied | Means | Cherry, leather, vanilla | Cold cuts, lamb |
Which red wine for which dish?
The rule: the richer or more powerful the dish, the more tannins the wine should have to match it. The more delicate the dish, the more subtle the wine should be.
| The dish | The right profile | Grape varieties | Our bottle | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raclette, tartiflette melted cheese, greasy | Light-bodied, not very tannic | Pinot Noir, Gamay | Malma - Papay Farm | €16.50 |
| Rib of beef, sirloin steak grilled, marbled meat | Full-bodied, present tannins | Malbec, Syrah, Cabernet | Amalaya - Malbec Red | €15.50 |
| Leg of lamb red meat, herbs | Tannic, structured | Nebbiolo, Xinomavro | 460 Casina Bric - Mesdì Rosso | €17.90 |
| Beef bourguignon wine-braised dish | Full-bodied, dark fruits | Syrah, Carignan | Av Bodeguers - Nereus Selection | €22.00 |
| Curry, tagine, spicy dish spices, chilli | Fruity, lightly oaked | Grenache, Cinsault | Domaine des Tourelles - Red | €15.50 |
| Barbecue, burger, ribs smoked meat, sweet sauce | Fruity, generous | Zinfandel, Pinotage | Kautz Family - The Big Top | €13.50 |
| Aged cheese platter pressed, blue-veined | Bold or mellow | Pinotage, port | Southern Right - Pinotage | €32.00 |
| Grilled vegetables, vegetarian dish eggplant, bell pepper, mushroom | Light to fruity | Pinot Noir, Grenache | Bonnardot Estate - Love at First Sight | €19.90 |
What we look for in a red
We taste several thousand wines a year and only keep a fraction of them. The criterion is never a guide's rating: it's tension. A red wine with tension makes you want another glass. A red wine without tension, even if technically flawless, tires you out after two sips.
That's why we seek out winemakers in unexpected places: Xinomavro from Naoussa in Greece, Areni from Armenia from three-thousand-year-old vines, or South African Pinotage, which has long been caricatured. These are often €15 wines that stand up to €40 Bordeaux.
Three mistakes we see all the time
Serving too warm. "Room temperature" comes from a time when rooms were 16°C. At 22°C, a red wine tastes alcoholic and loses its fruitiness. Fifteen minutes in the fridge before serving changes everything.
Confusing power with quality. A dense, oaky red wine impresses with the first glass, then overpowers the meal. The wines we repurchase are rarely the most showy.
Decanting by reflex. A young, closed red wine benefits from it; a fragile old vintage can collapse in twenty minutes. When in doubt, open an hour before serving without decanting.
The Baroudeur team, Lyon
All you need to know about red wine
What red wine should I choose when I don't know anything about it?
Start with the dish, not the wine. A light dish (poultry, vegetables, mild cheese) calls for a light red wine: Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cinsault. A rich dish (beef, game, stew) calls for a full-bodied red wine: Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet. Between €12 and €18, you can already find excellent bottles; beyond that, you're paying for rarity, not just quality.
What are the different types of red wines?
They are classified by taste profile: light (low tannins, fresh red fruit), fruity (ripe fruit, roundness), full-bodied (dense texture, dark fruit), tannic (firm structure, aging potential) and sweet (residual sugars, like port wine). This classification is more useful when buying than classification by region.
What red wine with raclette?
A light red with low tannins: tannins clash with the fat of melted cheese. A Pinot Noir from Burgundy or Patagonia, a Gamay, a Mondeuse from Savoie. Avoid full-bodied, oaked reds, which overpower the dish.
What red wine goes with prime rib?
Grilled, marbled meat calls for a red with body and present tannins to cut through the fat: Argentinian Malbec, Australian Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, or a Douro blend. Serve it at 17 °C, never at room temperature (22 °C).
At what temperature should red wine be served?
Between 14 and 18°C depending on the structure. A light red is served chilled, at 14-15°C. A full-bodied or tannic red, at 17-18°C. "Room temperature" dates back to a time when rooms were 16°C: a red served at modern room temperature loses its fruit and tastes alcoholic.
How long does an open bottle of red wine last?
Two to three days recorked in the fridge for a light red, up to five days for a tannic red. A vacuum pump doubles these durations. An oxidized red is not dangerous: it simply loses its fruit and develops pruney notes.
Which red wine keeps the longest?
Those high in tannins and acidity: Nebbiolo, Xinomavro, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, Northern Rhône Syrah. An entry-level light Pinot Noir is best consumed within three years. Aging only improves wines built for it.
Is an expensive red wine necessarily better?
No. The price reflects the rarity of the terroir, the yield, and the reputation, as well as the quality. In our catalog, the gap in enjoyment between a €12 bottle and a €25 bottle is clear; between €25 and €80, it becomes a matter of personal taste and occasion.