Fruity Reds

Delicious, rich and ripe Chardonnay. Notes of marzipan and sweet yellow fruit on the nose. Fresh and lemonycream on the palate. Lovely, lingering finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Elgin

Grapes: Chardonnay

ABV: 13%

A delicious, medium-bodied, rustic yet smooth red made with native grapes Alfrocheiro and Baga. On the palate there are notes of stewed red berries, red fruit leather, spice and earth.

Country: Portugal

Region: Lisbon

Grapes: Alfrocheiro and Baga

ABV:13.5%

Coming from Puglia’s cooler northern shores, Caiaffa's Nero di Troia has notes of red and dark fruits; blackberries, and dark cherry, with a smoky undertone. The palate is medium-bodied and bright with an almost creamy, velvet-like texture. This is a real easy-drinker, ever so moreish!

Grape: Nero di Troia

Counrty: Italy

Region: Puglia

ABV: 13%

Nero D' Avola from Ausralia? The bright cherry and raspberry fruits of this sit deliciously beside a savoury and herbaceous spiciness. The wine at the moment is very youthful, mid weight, with nice fresh, berry fruit on the nose and subtle French oak characters.

Country: Australia

Region: Victoria

Grapes: Nero D'Avola

ABV: 13%

Food Match: Wood fire pizza, tomato based pasta and charcuterie

Powerful, rich and full bodied with aromas and flavours of blackberries, baked plum and sweet spice. Concentrated, long finish. 

Country: Spain

Region: Castilla a Mancha, Jumilla

ABV: 14.5%

Grapes: Monastrell

Food Match: Barbequed lamb with rosemary

The Gil family have been major wine producers in Jumilla since the early 20th Century. Bodegas Juan Gil is dedicated to producing powerful, yet approachable and modern wines, mainly based on Monastrell (aka Mourvedre) which is grown on about 80% of the vineyard.

The winery has invested heavily in its Organic and Sustainability programmes in recent years.

Dark, ruby red colour. Aromas of sweet spice, ripe plum jam and leather on the nose. On the palate: complex and full bodied with velvety tannins on the finish. 

Grapes: Odesa Black

Country: Ukraine

Region: Odesa

Food pairing: Soft cheese and cured meats or grilled pork with potatoes.

Serving temperature: 16-18°C

ABV: 13%

Villa Tinta has been a family estate winery since 1998 when the winery foundation was laid and 500 hectares of family-owned vines were planted. The winery is situated in the Bolgrad district where winemaking was the source of life centuries ago.

Blue and black fruits, with meaty, spice notes and smoky oak complexity. Intense, savoury wine, with a dense ferrous palate, and sustained finish. Drink now or keep for up to 20 years.

Country: Portugal

Region: Douro Valley

Grapes: Touriga Franca (99%)
Tinta Roriz (1%)

ABV: 14.5%

Quinta da Pedra Alta 'Rio' Tinto is an intense, savoury Douro red, made from parcels from the Quinta's lowest elevations close to the river (Rio).

Long skin maceration, giving concentration and complexity. Finally, 18 months in French and American oak, which adds volume and polish.

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Grapes: Tempranillo, Graciano

ABV: 14,5%

Organic

Vivid and hazy ruby colour. Aromas of red fuits, forest berries and spices. Youthful and Pure. Fresh and delicate on the palate with a long and pleasant finish.

Country: Portugal

Region: Lisbon

Grapes:  Tinta Roriz

ABV:12.5%

Stylish nose with lovely dark cherries and complex tobacco aromas with hints of savoury notes. Velvety textured tannins and lingering finish.

Grape: Nero di Troia

Country: Italy

Region: Puglia

ABV: 14%

Food pairing: red meats, stews, and aged cheeses.

This cool climate Aussie Pinot punches above its weight.

Surprisingly restrained and elegant for what was a warm ripening season. There are layers of complexity here. Lifted aromatics of tart cherry, fresh tobacco leaves and candied ginger, the palate is supported by a fine acidity, gentle tannins & alluring savoury characteristics of dried red earth, leather and pencil shavings.

Country: Australia

Region: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir

ABV: 13%

Sarah Jane Evans MW: Gloriously mature fruit profile, giving a fine autumnal feeling, with neat darts of acidity. Red fruits, vanilla and cumin, and a long, elegant finish. Made for enjoyment over many years.

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Grapes: Tempranillo (80%), Mazuelo (15%) and Graciano (5%).

Food Match:

Great on it's own everyday drinking or with grilled red meats and hearty sausage or lentil casseroles.

The 2004 vintage, classified as “Excellent” by the Regulatory Council of the Rioja
denomination of origin, was one of the Rioja’s historic vintages.

The abundant rainfall, snow and absence of frost during the winter allowed for a good
fruit set. The weather was ideal along the entire vegetative cycle of the vine, especially
from mid-September on through to the end of the harvest.

The wines obtained of this vintage have offered the best quality parameters in recent
years.

Made with destemmed grapes following a long maceration. In 2004, the wine making
incorporated micro-oxygenation processes with which from the very first phases of the
winemaking it was possible to improve the work of the yeasts, avoid reductions and
stabilize the colour. Micro-oxygenation was also used between alcoholic and malolatic
fermentations in order to stabilize the colour. Aged for 36 months in second-use
American oak barrels and further 36 months in the bottle prior to market release.

Quinta da Pedra Alta 'Alto' Tinto is a perfumed, hedonistic Douro red, made from parcels from our highest (Alto) elevations on the Quinta.

Aromas of red and blue fruits, with lifted bergamot and exotic spice notes. This is a rich, hedonistic wine, with an Indian ink mid-palate, and an Earl Grey finish.

Country: Portugal

Region: Douro Valley

Grapes: Touriga Nacional (92%), Sousão (7%), Fernão Pires (1%)

ABV: 15%

Pretty strawberry nose with elegance! Silky and smooth, perfectly balanced Pinot. Very Burgundian in style.

Country: Australia

Region: South Australia

Grapes: Pinot Noir

ABV: 13.5%

This ruby red wine is juicy, fresh and floral on the palate with delicate cherry aromas.  Forest fruit on nose, blueberry, round tannins, full bodied with a long finish of saltiness
and minerality.

Country: Slovenia

Region: Štajerska

Grapes: 50% Pinot noir,
50% Blaufrankisch

ABV: 13%

Food Match: Charcuterie and hard cheeses.

Delicious, semi-sweet red from Georgia's largest wine region, Kakheti. The wine is supple and very easy drinking with lots of red berry, cranberry and black cherry aromas and flavours.

Country: Georgia

Region: Kindzmarauli, Kakheti

Grapes: Saperavi

ABV: 12%

Food Match: Goes perfectly with a cheese board full of hard, soft, fresh and aged cheeses accompanied by fruit preserves as well as dried and fresh fruits such as dried apricots and fresh green grapes.

Read all about Penny's recent trip to the cradle of wine, Georgia in her blog here.

Pinot Noir is one of Romania’s greatest hidden secrets. Probably the only place in the world that can do this grape variety justice at such brilliant value. The nose is full of summer fruit aroma’s, strawberry, blueberry, and the palate is light and crisp and refreshing with notes of raspberry and cranberry. Serve well chilled at a summer bbq.

Country: Romania

Region: Recas and Minis

ABV: 12.5%

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Food match: Greek salad, grilled fish, potato salad

As you walk through the rolling vineyards of the 700 hectare Cramele Recas estate, two things are inescapable. The first is the scale of the transformation that Englishman Philip Cox and his wife Elvira have managed to achieve, replanting 700 hectares of decrepit vineyards and replacing them with immaculately tended sites the equal of anywhere else in the world. The second is that if you didn't know where you were, you'd be convinced you were in Tuscany or any other "Classic" wine producing region. And, to a certain extent you are, Romania has a history of wine making stretching back millennia and it was this potential that has driven this dynamic duo to dedicate their lives to driving forward Romanian wine making to it's current state of rude health. A 20 million euro investment in the vineyards and brand new winery.

A fruit-driven red wine, a great balance of acidity and juiciness. Notes one can taste: red fruit, pepper, liquorice, cinnamon, vanilla, tobacco, chocolate.

Grape: Carignan

Country: South Africa

Region: Swartland

ABV: 15%

Food pairing: beef, lamb, game, mushrooms

Vegan

An excellent example of Xinomavro with its complex bouquet of small berried red fruits, red cherry, leather, pepper, clove and sweet vanilla spice showing great typicity. Ruby red in colour. Structured and beautifully balanced with rounded tannins and well-integrated oak, with a touch of fennel on the finish.

Country: Greece

Region:  Macedonia

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Xinomavro

Food match: Moussaka and Greek Salad

A beautifully made medium bodied red from Greece from indigenous varietal Koiniariko. Aromas of sweet spice, black pepper and crushed strawberries. Black cherry and supple tannins on the palate with a long, soft finish.

Country: Greece

Region:  Macedonia, Thrace near Drama

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Koiniariko 

pronounced keen-ee-YAR-iko

Food match: This versatile, medium bodied red will go well with soft cheese and cured meats, salads and grilled meat or roast chicken.

We love these organic, low intervention wines from ancient terroir with a touch of New Zealand magic. Expressive and unique you've got to try them!

A heady mix of Barbera and Bonarda grapes combine to produce a delicious and aromatic wine full of ripe plums and cherries that is really brought to life by a hint of anise and bright juicy acidity.

Country: Italy

Region: Emilia Romagna

Grapes: Barbera and Bonarda

ABV: 14%

Rich, concentrated and ripe with aromas of black berries with a hint of tobacco, full-bodied with a wonderfully rich finish of ripe red fruits, vanilla and chocolate. A super Super Tuscan made with 100% Malbec.

Country: Italy

Region: Tuscany

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Malbec

Grape: Syrah

Country: South Africa

Region: Swartland

ABV: 15%

Food pairing: 

Vegan

Medium in body, easy-drinking red wine. Full of red fruit character (pomegranate, cranberry) with a hint of spice. 

Grape: Cinsault

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

ABV: 13.30%

Oaked red wine, quite fruity. A mix of red and dark fruit on the nose. The palate is smooth and structured with a lingering finish. 

Grape: Pinot Noir

Country: South Africa

Region: Elgin

ABV: 14,5%

Vegan