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.
Staglin Family Vineyard - Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
The great vintage of Domaine Staglin
Staglin Family Vineyard - Salus Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
A Cabernet Sauvignon with great aromatic depth
Far Niente - Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
This magnificent Cabernet Sauvignon is considered one of the best in Napa
Silver Oak - Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
A legendary Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - SLV 2020
The vintage that beat the most Bordeaux blind at the 1976 Judgment of Paris
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - FAY 2020
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars has created a grandiose vintage, from a historic plot
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - Artemis 2020
A Cabernet Sauvignon from one of the largest estates in California
Zeni - Cruino Red Veronese 2019
Coming from pure Venetian tradition, an Amarone that doesn't say its name!
Tricerchi - Rosso di Montalcino 2021
A Rosso di Montalcino made with elegance and freshness
Tricerchi - Brunello di Montalcino 2018
A fine and elegant Brunello di Montalcino, with a distinguished aromatic imprint
Catena Zapata - Malbec Argentino 2022
Probably one of the finest Malbecs known in Argentina today
Wildeberg - Coterie Cabernet Franc & Malbec 2020
A superb blend of Cabernet Franc and Malbec
Diego Sinatra & Guillaume Letang - Tesoro de los Andes 2021
A generous blend of Malbec and Bonarda
Thymiopoulos - Alta Naoussa 2024
A Xinomavro of altitude, all in finesse and elegance
Listening Station - Shiraz 2021
A Syrah from Victoria, supple and with peppery notes
Montecrocetta - Roncaiolo Apassite 2017
A Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon blend, made using the ripasso method
Montecrocetta - Argione Appasimento 2015
An Amarone type wine made from 2 emblematic Bordeaux grape varieties
Valdrinal - Crianza Tradicion 2021
A tasty Ribera del Duero with notes of forest fruits and oriental spices
Tenet Wines - Syrah The Pundit 2020
The expression of Washington's terroirs expressed through Syrah
Château Sainte Michelle - Syrah 2020
When Syrah meets Washington State
Diemersfontein - Thokozani Shiraz 2023
A full and voluptuous red wine with flavors of black fruits and spices
Peregrine Estate - Pinot Noir 2015
A Pinot Noir that combines purity and elegance, concentration and length.
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.