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.
Paarl Heights - Shiraz 2019
A distinctive Syrah from the foothills of the Paarl mountain
Delicato Wines & Alex Gittins - Shadow Point Pinot Noir 2019
A delicious and charming Pinot Noir from the Monterey Valley
Tarapacá - Gran Reserva Organic 2024
An organic blended wine with multiple aromatic facets
Pittacum - Small Pittacum 2018
A seductive and juicy expression of the Mencia grape
Kautz Family - Burlesque Zinfandel 2020
A charming and spicy Californian zinfandel
De Martino - Tierra Alta Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
An expressive Cabernet Sauvignon with assertive varietal character
Hamilton Russell - Pinot noir 2023
A long-lasting Pinot noir with complex and refined notes
Southern Right - Pinotage 2022
An intense and complex Pinotage, grown on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean
Vigneti del Vulture - Pipoli Aglianico del Vulture 2021
A 100% Aglianico wine: an ancient grape variety from the Basilicata region
Stellenrust - Kleine Rust Red 2019
An astonishing blend of Pinotage and Syrah, with flavors of red fruits and smoky spices
Cantina Cellaro - Luma Nero d'Avola 2023
A powerful Sicilian red wine with rich, spicy flavors
Botter - Lupo Meraviglia Tre Di Tre 2021
A rich and tasty wine, made using an ancestral method from the Puglia region
Quinta do Crasto - Flor de Crasto Red 2021
A beautiful blend from the Douro Valley, with intense flavors of black fruits
Jay Christopher - Basalt Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2018
A world-class Pinot noir, with notes of spices and undergrowth
460 Casina Bric - Barolo Municipality of Barolo 2014
A powerful Barolo deeply imbued with its high altitude terroir
Thomas Leithner - Zweigelt 2013
The estate that created Zweigelt, an iconic Austrian grape variety with peppery flavors.
Revancha - La Revancha Malbec 2020
A lacy Malbec, produced in the heart of the Uco valley, considered the best terroir in Mendoza
Lantides - Little Ark Red 2020
A blend of 2 indigenous Greek grape varieties, with flavors of black fruits and spices
Alamos - Malbec 2020
A high-altitude, round and tasty Malbec with very good value for money!
Paso Primero - Paso Primero Red 2019
A blend from Northern Spain, with accents of red fruits and spices
Birichino - Saint Georges Pinot Noir 2022
A superb Californian Pinot noir, made with finesse, freshness and deliciousness
Vigneti del Vulture - Tufarello Nero di Troia 2019
Nero di Troia, an indigenous grape variety from northern Puglia
Groot Constantia - Gouverneurs Reserve Red 2019
A sophisticated Bordeaux blend with complexity worthy of a great vintage
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.