Living over 3 years ago by Liz Adams

My Five Favorite Red Wines

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Red wine is wellness in my world so today I’m sharing my five favorite red wines because I’m always asked what I like to drink at night! To be honest, I’m not a wine connoisseur – I don’t drink white wine, I don’t stray from cabernet sauvignon so if you’re looking for options this isn’t the post for you. I’m just going to share what I know and love!

In general, I don’t look for something with a super heavy body. Dave loves a heavier Cabernet but if I’m looking for a good drinking red wine, I want something lighter but with a heavy finish (I don’t like Pinot which I think is on the lighter side). I’m not going to detail the flavors of these wines because I have no fricking idea what I’m talking about. I’m just going to link to my favorites!

My Favorite Red Wines

I kind of think we need to get a comment section going of the best wines and why given the state of the world right now! Since we are all stuck at home for the foreseeable future, I think it would be best if we are all in the know! So if you have a favorite wine please leave it in the comments and describe what you like about it/your personal taste! For example: Kim Crawford Chardonnay which is buttery, dry, refreshing – etc! Not sure if those descriptions even go together but you know what I mean, ha! We NEED THIS. xoxo

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  1. Hess and Kendall Jackson Cab! Dry and delicious! Chateau Sainte Michelle Indian Wells is a great weeknight wine 🙂

  2. A local wine shop I go to, Solo Vino, in St Paul, MN has free tastings every Friday which has helped me expand what I like! Local wine shops with friendly staff are my best friend for figuring out what I’ll like

  3. My fiancé and I have been loving Juggernaut Cabernet lately. It’s rich but not heavy and definitely tastes best when decanted or aerated. Roughly $20 a bottle.

  4. I was just introduced to Unshackled wine made by Prisoner, more on the cheaper side of Prisoner. I had the red blend, but they also have a Cab. Not a heavy wine which I prefer these days.

  5. Yessss to the Smith + Hook cab! 🙌🏻
    Undaunted is a Malbec I’ve been hooked on lately. Found it at Whole Foods.

    1. I second Bonterra! I’m more of a white wine drinker and I love their Sauvignon Blanc and Rose! I just found their wine in cans and it’s a game changer for backyard picnics, evening strolls in the neighborhood, etc. and yes, great price point for an everyday wine.

  6. Not a red wine drinker – I wish I was but I just can’t get behind the taste. Hopefully one day ha! My favorite is Freixnet Prosecco – it’s light, dry, and refreshing.

    xo Laura Leigh
    http://louellareese.com

    1. Freixenet is a Cava (from Spain) not Prosecco (Italy) different countries, different regions, different grapes and more important different method, Cava is traditional method and Prosecco is Charmat (tank) method.

  7. I’ll add Coppola Claret, La Crema Pinot Noir, and for cabs, Joel Gott and Double Black to the list. I keep track of my favorites on my Vivino app!

  8. I love this! I’m a red girl too! Love all the wines you listed and these are some of my additional faves:
    Saldo
    Daou
    Silver Ghost
    Orin Swift 8 years in the desert
    Hypothesis

    1. Easy drinking cabs/reds:
      Noble Vines 337
      Farmhouse Red by Cline Cellars
      Canoe Ridge Expedition

      If you’d like to explore white wine, my favorite are from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. Light, citrus, grassy and sooo easy to drink! Here are my personal favorites:
      Spy Valley
      Whitehaven
      Allan Scott
      Ranga Ranga
      The Little Sheep

      Cheers mama!

  9. Perfect timing given the state of everything! #needallthewine

    Fave is Bread and Butter both Pinot and cab are great and their Chardonnay is my true love.

    1. I second the Rodney Strong. 2017 is much smoother than 2016. My Costco (Lincoln Park Chicago) is still carrying the 2016, but Trader Joe’s has the 2017!

  10. Love all of these! Saldo is the zin version of Prisoner and is a little more cost friendly but just as good!!

    1. I second Saldo. So yummy and easy to drink!

      I also love the Smith & Hook and Hall Coeur.

      For a splurge, I love Kathryn Hall. I visited the winery in St. Helena, totally worth it. Beautiful view and great tasting experience.

  11. We get a lot of our wine from Eataly (we live close to the Boston store and have some faves from doing the wine club for 3 months last year):
    -Chiarli lambrusco or their rose lambrusco (the first has a raspberry note and the latter is amazing and goes with EVERYTHING…not too sweet or dry)
    -Livio Felluga Vertigo Rosso-a balanced red (not too light or full)
    -Zisola-another great red…especially good with pizza
    -Ferrari Brut-a really great prosecco

    Others:
    -Excelsior Cab-very affordable, can sometimes find at TJ
    -Kim Crawford or Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc-I personally love grassy, New Zealand whites. Very easy to find these
    -Justin Cab-my hubby’s favorite
    -Smoking Loon-my dad and I love this and usually buy at Costco
    -Daou Cabernet-I LOVE this red!

    PS-My biggest tip about wine is that the only thing you actually need to know is what you like and from where. The same varietal from one area usually shares similar characteristics so you can easily look at a wine list and find things you like (for me that’s Sancerre from France, Sav Blanc from NZ, Zinfindel from CA, and Cab from South Africa). If you don’t see something you recognize, servers and bartenders can usually help if you can say I love X from Y region. Our fave Greek place only serves Greek wine and the bartender introduced me to a new favorite based on me telling him I like New Zealand Sav Blancs 🙂

    Cheers ladies!!!

    1. I’m from the Boston area also and Greek food is my favorite… what is your favorite Greek restaurant that you mention?

      I usually stick with a Cab too and my favorites are Justin, Banshee and although I think its actually a Pinot, I LOVE Hess Collection Mount Veeder (not easy to find)

      1. The restaurant is Kava (corner of Shawmut and Union Park, across from the Buttery). It’s tough to get in, usually over an hour wait, but my hubby and I usually manage seats at the bar or 8:30 on a Monday seems to be a lucky time. I hope everything goes back to normal soon so you can go!! Get the zucchini chips and the Assyrtiko wine 🙂

    2. I love Ferrari Brut, only thing is not a Prosecco is Trentodoc, meaning is traditional method, that’s why it has finer bubbles and is more toasty.

  12. I’m loving L’umami Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley Oregon. I moved from the West Coast and loved Banshee and this has a very similar profile.

  13. Joel Gott Cab and Colimoro Montepulciano. Both so delicious and extremely affordable. The Colimoro is so smooth and goes down maybe too easily!

  14. Morgan Syrah 2017 – blackberries with a little spice
    Emeritus Pinots – Not too light, just enough fruit blackcherry aromas
    Chateau Montelena Chardonnay – I’m not a Chardonnay drinker, but this is the wine that put Napa on the map. It is amazing!
    Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc – crisp with a citrus finish

  15. So relevant!!! 💁🏼‍♀️ Obsessed with Heavyweight Cabernet Sauvignon. And I like Malbecs too. Sauvignon Blanc is my go-to white. Prefer NZ ones generally bc they are more “grapefruity.” Imo. Like the cupcake and Te pa. Although recently tried a canin Blanc and it was a warmer alternative to a SB. Disclaimer: no official idea what I’m talking about. Just what tastes good to me!!!🍷🍷🍷 cheers!

  16. Those are great cabs! A couple others the hubby and I like are Josh, Federalist & Decoy. Favorite rose from last summer “Why am I Mr. Pink” (I think Josh makes a good one too.)

    Currently pregnant so as I watch the hubs drink red wine during all this at home time I’m having to get creative with drinks that are more exciting than plain water haha. There’s no good mocktail to replace red wine, but I think this summer it will be easier to find and make replacements for summery drinks!

  17. Love a good cab sav! Especially if it’s clean! Less sugar, less calories….still with all the red wine fun! And ships to my house even during a quarantine! Scout and Cellar it is for me!

  18. My husband works for a beverage / liquor distributor so we are FULLY stocked up on wine for the foreseeable future. May have to turn to liquid dinners if our stockpile of groceries runs out. Some of our favorites…
    _ Orwin Swift: anything he does, really.
    – Field Recordings PETS: Petite Sirah, $20ish a bottle. SOO delicious
    – Murphy Goode: red blend, great weeknight wine, $11-$12 a bottle
    – Freemark Abbey: Napa cab, bold & tasty. Splurge weekend wine, around $50

  19. Favorite under $10 wines at Trader Joe’s include – Les Portes de Bordeaux (French style dry rosé), Josefina (slightly fruitier rosé), Pacific Grove Chardonnay (oaky and buttery), La Finca Malbec, La Ferme Julien (dry crisp rosé)

  20. Your list is great but we also like Quilt it’s in the Camus family for about a third of the price another in the same family in Conundrum. We really like them both conundrum is best a little chilled

  21. 19 Crimes Red Blend-a good red for someone getting into reds
    Kim Crawford Sauv Blanc-my all time favorite! Sweet, drier and refreshing. Could drink it all day 🙂

  22. Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon for an everyday drinking cab. I like to think of it as approachable elegance. It’s a more youthful style cab with a great finish.

    Duckhorn Merlot (Merlot is the softer side of cab, velvety tannins, gorgeous structure, ripe fruit)

    Stage Leap Artemis Cabernet

    Goldeneye Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley (this is a cab drinkers Pinot. I’d you think Pinot noir is too light in body and style this is a must try)

    Coppola Claret, delicious Bordeaux blend

    Kirkland Prosecco from Costco, fantastic Prosecco for the price

    Cheers everyone and be well.

  23. Franciscan Cab— great everyday wine. They recently dropped their price from 20 to 13 a bottle

    Sequoia Grove—40 very very delish

    Hall—we do their wine club and they are all good. The basic Cab is about 50 and delish, sold at Binnys

    Frank family-also about 50

    Frogs Leap and Stag Leap Cabs are great as well!

  24. I have been buying Freakshow Red Blend (Michael David) for years. I also love Seghesio Zin. For a lower price point I like Malbecs… Zuccardi, Catena Zepada, Norton.

  25. Cherrycream Pinot Noir- velvety goodness only $13 at total wine
    Harken Barrel fermented Chardonnay- buttery with some hints of vanilla also in the $13+ Chardonnay
    Meiomi Pinot Noir- another velvety goodness
    Prisoner (Splurge)

  26. My favorite is Petit Petit (Petit Syrah) by Michael David! It’s at Costco for $13. I brought it for our rehearsal dinner wine and everyone raced about it.

    I also love browsing Trader Joe’s for their selections of Tempranillo Syrah and Garnache. They often have great ones $9-12.

  27. Love Smith & Hook!
    Josh – cab
    Decoy – cab
    Catena – Malbec 👌🏼 Though they do make a cab but haven’t tried it!

  28. I love red wine, but almost never drink it. I’m too much of a freak about keeping my teeth white. So unfortunately, I restrict myself to white wine.

    I do love Kim Crawford (who are known for their Sauvignon blanc.) And on that note, any NZ Sauvignon Blanc does it for me!

  29. Zac Brown red blend!! Is it super affordable and has a smooth dry taste! It’s a great everyday wine in my opinion

  30. Murphy Goode Red blend, Pinot noir- not bitter, very smooth! Meiomi Pinot Noir- soo good, again smooth, light. I love red blends , Sangiovese is great too! I’m a dry red drinker all the way!

  31. I like a glass of montepulciano. It’s deep red with a smooth, easy to drink Italian grape. Amador county has a great one at Il Gioello winery. I call it my cabernet without ad much tannins. He also makes an Aglianico that is much different from the monte, and has a very unique taste. It is bright, happy red that stands alone in the reds. You know it’s Aglianico when you first taste it. Another Italian grape.