Amarone della Valpolicella

Amarone della Valpolicella is a rich, powerful and dry red from Veneto in northern Italy, made from partially dried grapes including Corvina and Corvinone. Expect black cherry, plum and dried fruit with chocolate, spice and tobacco. Full-bodied and warming, it’s brilliant with roast beef, steak, slow-cooked meat, lamb, mushroom dishes and mature cheese.

Ripasso della Valpolicella

Ripasso della Valpolicella is a rich, dry red from Veneto in northern Italy, usually made from Corvina alongside other local grapes. Expect ripe cherry, plum and blackberry with warming spice, dried fruit and a touch of chocolate. Fuller than classic Valpolicella but not as intense as Amarone, it’s brilliant with lasagne, beef ragù, roast beef, lamb, sausages and rich tomato-based pasta.

Pinotage

Pinotage is a bold, dry red and South Africa’s signature grape, packed with blackberry, black cherry and plum alongside spice, smoke and earthy flavours. Usually medium to full-bodied, it’s brilliant with steak, burgers, BBQ ribs, grilled sausages, roast lamb and smoky, slow-cooked meat.

Malbec

Malbec is a bold, dry red best known from Argentina, particularly Mendoza, with rich flavours of blackberry, black plum and black cherry alongside cocoa, spice and violet. Full-bodied, smooth and made for big flavours, it’s brilliant with steak, burgers, roast beef, BBQ ribs, lamb and slow-cooked meat.

Syrah

Syrah is a bold, dry red grape best known from France’s Rhône Valley, producing wines packed with blackberry, blueberry and plum alongside its signature black pepper, herbs and savoury spice. Full-bodied and structured, it’s brilliant with steak, roast beef, lamb, BBQ ribs, burgers, sausages and slow-cooked meat.

Toro

Toro is a bold, dry red from Castilla y León in northwestern Spain, made mainly from a local expression of Tempranillo known as Tinta de Toro. Expect blackberry, black cherry and plum with spice, cocoa and smoky oak. Full-bodied and powerful, it’s brilliant with steak, roast beef, lamb, BBQ ribs, burgers and slow-cooked meat.

Brunello di Montalcino

Brunello di Montalcino is a bold, dry red from Tuscany, Italy, made entirely from Sangiovese. Expect ripe cherry and plum with herbs, spice, tobacco and earthy flavours, backed by serious structure and plenty of ageing potential. It’s made for steak, roast beef, lamb, beef ragù, lasagne, truffle pasta and mature Italian cheese.

Morellino di Scansano

Morellino di Scansano is a dry, medium-bodied red from Tuscany, Italy, made mainly from Sangiovese – locally known as Morellino. Expect juicy cherry, red plum and blackberry with herbs, spice and a touch of earthiness. It's a seriously food-friendly red that works beautifully with pizza, lasagne, bolognese, steak, sausages and roast meats.

Carménère

Carménère is a dry, medium to full-bodied red best known from Chile, packed with blackberry, black cherry and plum alongside herbs, pepper and warming spice. Smooth, fruity and savoury, it’s brilliant with steak, burgers, roast beef, lamb, BBQ food, sausages and smoky vegetable dishes.

Mourvèdre

Mourvèdre is a bold, dry red grape best known in southern France and Spain, where it goes by the name Monastrell. Expect blackberry, black plum and blueberry with black pepper, herbs and earthy, savoury flavours. Full-bodied and powerful, it’s brilliant with steak, lamb, BBQ ribs, burgers, sausages and slow-cooked meat.

Rosso di Montalcino

Rosso di Montalcino is a dry, medium-bodied red from Tuscany, Italy, made from Sangiovese. Expect juicy cherry and raspberry, a little spice and that classic Italian freshness that makes it ridiculously easy to pair with food. Pizza, lasagne, spaghetti bolognese, tomato-based pasta and roast meats are all very welcome here.

Saint-Aubin

White Saint-Aubin is a dry, elegant Chardonnay from Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune in France, with flavours of lemon, green apple and pear alongside white flowers and a fresh mineral edge. Refined but not overly rich, it’s brilliant with prawns, scallops, grilled fish, roast chicken, creamy pasta and mushroom dishes.

Tempranillo

Tempranillo is a bold, dry red grape from Spain and the star behind some of the country’s most famous wines, including Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Expect cherry, plum and blackberry with spice, leather and vanilla in oak-aged styles. It’s brilliant with steak, roast lamb, burgers, chorizo, BBQ food and rich tomato-based dishes.

Shiraz

Shiraz is a bold, dry red best known from Australia, packed with ripe blackberry, black cherry and plum alongside black pepper, spice and often a touch of chocolate. Full-bodied, rich and warming, it’s brilliant with steak, BBQ ribs, burgers, roast lamb, sausages, brisket and slow-cooked beef.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a dry, medium to full-bodied red from Tuscany, Italy, made mainly from Sangiovese, locally known as Prugnolo Gentile. Expect ripe cherry and plum with spice, herbs and earthy flavours. It's a brilliant bottle for steak, roast beef, lamb, lasagne, bolognese and rich tomato-based pasta dishes.

Pommard

Pommard is a bold, dry Pinot Noir from Burgundy, France, with darker fruit and more structure than many of its Burgundian neighbours. Expect black cherry, plum, spice and earthy flavours that work brilliantly with steak, roast beef, lamb, slow-cooked meat and rich mushroom dishes.

Gigondas

Gigondas is a bold, dry red from the Southern Rhône Valley in France, usually led by Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre alongside it. Expect ripe blackberry, cherry and plum with pepper, herbs and warming spice. Rich, powerful and full of flavour, it’s brilliant with steak, roast lamb, beef stew, BBQ food and slow-cooked meat.

Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is a dry, structured red grape from Piedmont in northern Italy, famous for making Barolo and Barbaresco. Expect red cherry and raspberry with rose, herbs, spice and earthy flavours, backed by high acidity and serious tannins. It’s brilliant with steak, roast beef, lamb, beef ragù, mushroom risotto and truffle pasta.

Ribera del Duero

Ribera del Duero is a bold, dry red from northern Spain, made mainly from Tempranillo – locally known as Tinto Fino or Tinta del País. Expect blackberry, plum and black cherry with spice, vanilla and savoury flavours. Full-bodied and structured, it’s a brilliant match for steak, roast beef, lamb, BBQ food and slow-cooked meat.

Barbera

Barbera is a dry, medium-bodied red from Piedmont in northern Italy, packed with juicy cherry, plum and blackberry alongside herbs and gentle spice. Its trademark high acidity and softer tannins make it ridiculously food-friendly, especially with pizza, lasagne, spaghetti bolognese, tomato-based pasta, sausages and roast pork.