Red wine

Red wines come in a variety of styles, each offering unique aromas, flavours and textures. The choice of grape variety places an important role in shaping a wine’s character. Below are some of the most popular red wine grapes – and their flavour profiles.  

• Cabernet Sauvignon: full-bodied with blackcurrant and mint flavours.
• Malbec: full to medium-bodied with dark, smoky fruit flavours.
• Merlot: medium-bodied with beautifully smooth texture and ripe plummy fruit.
• Grenache: medium-bodied with blackberry and red fruit flavours.
• Shiraz: jammy, rich and bold, with spicy bramble fruit flavours (known as Syrah in old world, cool climates)
• Zinfandel (also known as Primitivo): medium-bodied with easy drinking, juicy fruit flavours.
• Cabernet Franc: medium-bodied with ripe red fruit flavours.
• Pinot Noir: light-bodied, aromatic and silky smooth with red fruit flavours.

Red wines are so popular because of their incredible diversity. From big and bold to light and juicy, there’s a red wine style to suit every taste. Below are some of the most popular red wine styles from around the world.  

• Bordeaux (France) – Bordeaux reds can range from juicy, approachable and affordable reds to fine, barrel-matured beauties that can age for decades.  
• Burgundy (France) – The traditional home of Pinot Noir, Burgundy reds are typically light in colour and body, with red fruit flavours. It’s harder to find a good-value red from Burgundy than from Bordeaux – but at the top level these are some of the world’s finest bottles. 
• Rioja (Spain) – silky smooth, medium-bodied reds made mostly from Tempranillo, along with other local varieties such as Garnacha and Graciano. Reservas and Gran Reservas are a great option if you want a mature red, without the wait. 
• Chianti (Italy) – the most famous red of Tuscany, Chianti offers juicy red fruit flavours in a medium-bodied style. Like nearly all Italian reds, it is made with dining in mind – great with pizza and pasta, and superb with roast or grilled meats. 
• Argentinian Malbec – Mendoza, the most famous and arguably best region in Argentina, is famous for having re-discovered the almost forgotten French variety, Malbec. Loved for its juicy black fruit and subtle smoky flavours, it's the perfect BBQ wine.
• Aussie Shiraz – you’ll find great reds made from almost every conceivable grape variety Down Under – but Shiraz (aka Syrah) is by far the most popular. Expect big, bold flavours and rich, spicy blackberry fruit. 

At busy times of the year, and depending on the option you choose, our delivery timeframes can change. It's best to check our Delivery FAQs page for the latest delivery information.

We want you to be entirely happy with your chosen wine, so we offer an unbeatable money-back guarantee on every single bottle – even wines you buy on sale.

No quibbles. No questions. Just your 100% satisfaction.

If you aren't happy for any reason, get in touch and we’ll arrange to collect your bottle within 48 hours.

100,000 customers already love our wine subscriptions, and enjoy lower prices on their favourites all year round.

With a Laithwaites wine subscription, you can tell us what kind of wine you prefer, and how many bottles you’d like to receive on each delivery.

You can then choose how often you’d like to receive your case – every four or eight weeks. And delivery is free too!