“The first duty of wine is to be red. Don’t talk to me of your white wines.” – Henri Murger
Here’s the funny thing, we invest a lot of our wine time in reviewing bubbles – be it Champagne, Crémant, Cava and occasionally even Prosecco. But in spite of our focused and time-limited efforts, every once in while we’re drawn to the dark side. As staunch proponents of Champagne, red wine to us is like black magic, with a foreign yet enticing mystique. So on this page, we’re keen to showcase some of those red wines we sampled that we feel every Champagne-lover should make time to try.
Winzer Krems Blauer Zweigelt (Austria)
Bubbly’s take… Austria is sometimes overlooked as one of the formative Old World wine-making countries. However, we were refreshed to discover a number of wholesome vineyards in easy reach of Vienna, including the Domaen Wachau winery. In the neighbourhood, you’ll also find Winzer Krems – producer of this wonderful Zweigelt. It has a pleasant and…
Manz Contador de Estórias (Portugal)
Bubbly’s take… Now this is what we call a red wine! We found the Contador de Estorias to be a real “hidden gem” (or “hidden ruby”, given its burgundy finish). This is an Old World red that hails from a modern Portuguese winery. Contador de Estorias translates from Portuguese to the “storyteller” and this wholesome…
Dominic Hentall Primitivo (Italy)
Bubbly’s take… This one comes out of the bottle with a fiery shade of burgundy. It has a bold and fierce flavour, making it perfectly enticing for heartier dishes. Don’t get us wrong, this isn’t one of those pungent or “tannin-rich” red wines that leave a bitter after-taste. Instead, its fruity and deliciously reminiscent of…
Fauno (Spain)
Bubbly’s take… The Fauno is made by the Valencia-based Murviedro winery, which produces a range of red and white low alcohol, vegan and low calorie wines (amongst the usual strength brew!). This particular varietal is made from a blend of Garnacha, Shiraz and Monastrell grapes hence it evokes potent and fruity flavours. While the Fauno…
Galodoro (Portugal)
Bubbly’s take… This delightful red wine is produced in the Lisbon region of Portugal and is bursting with all of the character you would expect from a capital city wine. Produced from four grape varieties, the Galodoro has a rich, fruity and colourful flavour. It’s not too intense however and we found it has a…
Melini Chianti Riserva (Italy)
Bubbly’s take… This rather delicious Chianti hails from the lush Tuscan countryside. It is a fruity and quintessential Italian red. This Chianti is fairly full-bodied, with a thoughtful and thought-provoking taste. We enjoyed a good glass of this and also enjoyed cooking with it, adding another glass or so to our infamous “identity crisis” sausage…
DiMarco Primitivo (Italy)
Bubbly’s take… This lushious red wine is surprisingly fruity and refreshing for a primitivo. Hailing from Puglia, this delicious wine has a full and pleasing flavour, lacking the usual tannin aftertaste that is sometimes characteristic of this grape. Would go well with… A good hearty dish. This primitivo would, naturally, pair with steak or a…
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