Dinner tonight is a charcoal-grilled lamb rack in Sardinia, and the chef has asked you to pick the red. Bordeaux and Burgundy are not the only answers — and often not the best ones. The Rhône, Rioja, Tuscany and Mendoza give you reds built for exactly this kind of food.
Syrah / Shiraz
Same grape, two names, two signatures — the name on the label tells you which style to expect.
| Name | Home | Style |
|---|---|---|
| Syrah | Northern Rhône (Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie) | Medium–full body, black pepper, violet, smoked meat, blackberry; savoury, elegant |
| Shiraz | Barossa, Australia | Full body, high alcohol, sweet spice, blackberry jam, chocolate, rich |
High tannin, deep colour, medium acid in both. Also strong in the Languedoc, Chile and South Africa.
Grenache / Garnacha
Thin-skinned, late ripening, needs real heat. High alcohol, low to medium tannin, low acid; red fruit — strawberry, red plum — with sweet spice and, with age, a leathery, herbal note.
- The backbone of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and much of the Southern Rhône, where it is blended with Syrah and Mourvèdre (the GSM blend).
- Priorat and Rioja in Spain (as Garnacha); Sardinia (as Cannonau).
- Also the basis of much of the world's serious dry rosé, including in Provence and Tavel.
Sangiovese
Italy's most planted variety, and the soul of Tuscany.
- High acid, high tannin, medium body, pale to medium ruby.
- Flavour: sour red cherry, plum, dried herbs, tomato leaf, earth; leather and tobacco with age.
- Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are all Sangiovese-based.
Its acidity and savoury edge make it one of the great food wines — it is built for tomato, olive oil and cured meat.
Tempranillo
Spain's flagship black grape, above all in Rioja and Ribera del Duero.
- Medium acid, medium to high tannin, medium to full body.
- Flavour: red cherry, plum, dried fig, leather, tobacco — and, characteristically, vanilla, coconut and dill from American oak, which Rioja traditionally uses.
- Rioja's ageing terms broadly indicate time spent in oak and bottle before release, rising from young wines through Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva. Older categories are softer, more savoury and more tertiary.
Malbec
French in origin (Cahors), but Argentina made it famous.
- Mendoza, at altitude, gives deep inky colour, ripe plum and blackberry, soft round tannin, medium acid, full body, often oaked.
- Approachable young, generous, and consistently popular with guests.
Onboard Notes
- Sangiovese's acidity is a feature. If a guest calls it "sharp", pair it with food rather than defending it — with a ragù it transforms.
- Rioja's oak-driven vanilla note is polarising. Ask before opening; some guests love it and some find it dated.
- Grenache and Shiraz frequently exceed 14.5% abv. Flag high alcohol discreetly for lunchtime service and long afternoons at anchor.