10 Reviews: Best Red Wine for Casual Drinking (Apr 2024)

Wines such as Pian dell’Orino are the reason why people are so enthusiastic about this thing. Even though Rosso di Montalcino seems to be a very ordinary wine, in the hands of a top-tier producer like Pian dell’Orino, it may be one of the greatest reds available for under $100 these days. This is all from excellent vineyards that are certified biodynamic, and it is one of the greatest bottles of Tuscan wine available. This is a classic that will never go out of style!

Do not be hesitant to explore red wine outside of Europe. Lebanon’s Chateau Musar is a historic vineyard whose wines are highly regarded by wine connoisseurs all over the globe. This wine is a mix of cabernet sauvignon, carignan, consult, and grenache that was fermented in oak barrels for a year. It has also been matured in European wood for six months, so the drinker may anticipate a hint of pepper and spice. The ancient vine, low-yield method of production is well-known at Chateau Musat. This method results in grapes that are full of taste. This wine, which has been aged in wood, is complex and full of black plum flavors. It has enough strength to stand up to a wide range of foods, including red meat and savory stews. If this is your first time sampling this wine, don’t be afraid to sip a few sips and truly get to know the aromas and tastes.

Certified organic and biodynamic, Handwork Granacha is created only from grenache. Three brothers in La Mancha, Spain, manage the vineyard. Their passion for organic and biodynamic wine production shows their love for their own area and nation. This bottle is on the lighter end of the spectrum when it comes to funkier, earthier natural wines. It’s very earthy, yet it’s also fruity and light. This bottle is bursting with tart cherry and strawberry notes, as well as refreshing acidity. The price is also amazing. Paella, roast chicken and other light meats all go well with this quaffable bottle for less than $20.

Louis Jadot Bourgogne Pinot Noir ‘Les Pierres Rouges’ is a full-bodied red wine with a nose full of red fruit and aromatic violets created from 100 percent pinot noir grapes. Figs, cherries, and raspberries fill the mouth, with a little tannic structure and dry finish. Long-term partnerships with wine farmers in the Côte d’Or and Côte Chalonnaise ensure that Jadot always has access to the best grapes possible. Nine months of aging in French wood resulted in silky tannins in this wine. Delicious aromas of red berries and plums combine with earthy flowery and mushroom undertones to create an exquisite Pinot Noir with a well-balanced acidity.

The strength of cabernet sauvignon and the delicacy of pinot noir are both matched by nebbiolo. In the Italian area of Piedmont, the thick-skinned grape isn’t picked until late in the growing season, about the time the autumn fog rolls in (nebbiolo takes its name from “nebbia,” the Italian word for fog). In Piedmont, two villages are known for producing the world’s best nebbiolos: Barolo and Barbaresco. Angelo Gaja is the man who placed Piedmont nebbiolo on the world map. Gaja started pioneering contemporary winemaking procedures (green harvesting, maturing in tiny barrels, etc.) with his 1961 Barbaresco vintage. However, the more recent Gaja Barbaresco releases show the region’s most faithful and traditional expression, with signature nebbiolo notes of violet and tar, along with wild berry, cherry, coriander, cedar, and baking spice—all complimented by great depth and gorgeous tannins that suggest several decades of aging pote. A famous wine from a great producer, certain to be a fantastic drink.

I love Nabbiolo so I'm a bit subjective but GAJA really stands for its name, this entry level Nebbiolo is absolutely stunning. Elegant to the mouth but yet so amazingly powerful. Try it!

by Eduardo Mondolfi

Louis Latour is a household name in Burgundy, and its Château Corton Grancey is a mix of four Grand Cru vineyards (Bressandes, Perrières, Grèves, and Clos du Roi), making it one of the region’s most distinctive wines. This pinot noir is a textural marvel with delicious acidity and tight cedar-like tannins that delivers deep flavors of black and red currants, blackberry fruit, blood orange citrus, and dried raspberries.

4.75 for me. Great balance of good oak and ripe red fruit aromas. Cherry pie, pomegranate juice. The concentration on this wine is amazing. High acidity, ripe fruit and lactones-Balance.

by Tecolote

It’s difficult to imagine a more authentically Italian red grape than Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, and it’s as difficult to imagine a grower who constantly brings the vine to its full potential than Emidio Pepe. Pepe has established a well-deserved reputation for creating rich, robust, strong Montepulciano’s using only the most traditional of winemaking processes since opening his winery in 1964. He currently supervises the production of the wines alongside his children and granddaughters.

A little natural funk but not dominant. Bacon and black olives on the nose, suggestive of a northern Rhone. Black cherry on the palate. Good right from the very start but with time open keeps improving. [...]

by Dan Harrow

Vega Sicilia would be at the top of the pyramid if Spain’s wines were categorized as those in Bordeaux, with “first growths” dominating the pyramid from the first to the fifth. Ribera del Duero is home to the lvarez family’s winery. After a decade of work, this 2009 vintage is a combination of 94% Tempranillo and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, matured for six years in wood before bottling and another four years in the bottle before release. Aromas of red cherries and plums fill the tongue, while tastes of forest floor underbrush, cigar boxes, and muted blueberries float on the palate. This is a remarkable wine that should only be consumed on rare occasions due to its high price tag.

Celebrating my first listed company on Oslo Stock Echange. This on will air a couple of days. But meaty and savvy right from the start. Smells of linen, light hearbs snd flowers from The far East. Like a timetravel to Silk Road. [...]

by Geir Falkø

For years, wine enthusiasts believed Portugal was only known for its port, but now customers are finding wonderful red wines at affordable costs. Quinta de Roriz, owned by the Symington family, began producing port in the early 1800s and now spans 222 acres. Half of the land is planted to Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca vines, two of Portugal’s most extensively planted and most popular red table wine grapes. For the price, the Prazo de Roriz is a sophisticated red wine with lovely medium to deep crimson colors. On the palate, cherry and raspberry are joined by blood orange and baking spices, all underpinned by robust tannins.

In 1971, botanist Michael Benedict and his friend Richard Sanford built their namesake vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills, years before California wines gained significant worldwide respect. Their goal was to cultivate grapes capable of producing wines with enough depth and elegance to rival the classics of Europe—and, half a century later, their experiment has been a huge success, with the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard becoming one of California’s most sought-after pinot noir grape sources. Justin Willett, a Tyler winemaker, has had the good fortune to brew a lauded pinot noir from this vineyard for the last decade.