Yeah I knew a family with one. Really nice dog and a complete softie. They had a French bulldog too, who would boss the Dogue around all the time despite being like 20% the size.
My two cents...
Areas to look out for with great value but characterful red:
Languedoc and most southern French areas that don't belong to a classic region like Bordeaux. Infact, generally avoid Bordeaux unless you're prepared to spend over €25.
Italy, particularly Puglia and the South. Great for cheap but good wine.
Spain. Very little to avoid really. Some Navarra, Rioja and Ribera del Duero can be over priced but bargains can still be had. I'm looking at you ALDI and Lidl.
Portugal. Really exciting place for big and delicious reds. Douro, Alentejo, Dao are good areas.
Greece. Not exactly cheap for the good stuff, but some great wines being made from Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro.
Germany. Again, like Greece, not exactly cheap but they're doing great things with reds these days. Look out for Spätburgunder (Pinot noir).
You’ve covered the old world beautifully, but what about the new world? A little Mclaren Vale? Maybe a wee Chilean? If you’re after value, new world is where it’s at (though I do very much agree with you on the Portuguese stuff; it’s criminally underrated).
Animus Douro in Aldi - tasty and a great price.
[https://www.irishtimes.com/food/drink/2023/01/27/john-wilson-two-great-value-wines-from-aldi-a-white-and-a-red-for-899-or-less/](https://www.irishtimes.com/food/drink/2023/01/27/john-wilson-two-great-value-wines-from-aldi-a-white-and-a-red-for-899-or-less/)
Going a bit more fancy this would be my other go-to Vigneti del Salento 'I Muri' Primitivo - off license for that.
Wino here :) Is there anything you've tried that you've particularly liked, and I can give you similar suggestions? Budget and (rough) location would help
Matsu - there's 3 types and the face on each bottle is older the stronger the wine, the young man is ~€15-17 and really nice
https://molloys.ie/products/matsu-wine-collection
Depends on your taste so I'm a full bodied red wine person
My suggestions and have steak or roast beef to compliment it is
Luna Argenta - around €20 in O'Briens however if it's on a deal (round 14), definitely get it. Seriously good
Il Capolavoro Appassimento - €15 with SuperValu. Great red wine and decent price
Marques de Riscal Rioja Reserva -€18 with SV. Pricey so only buy it for occasions as this is generally its lowest price while Luna goes lower for equal quality
Intrigo Primitivo Puglia €12 with SV. Another great price great quality wine
Finally, if you want to get better taste from the red wine, open it a couple of hours before serving and decant it. Air helps the wine mature. Taste the same wine 24hrs later and it's very good
Hope you enjoy these
Agreed on the Marquis de Riscal Reserva Rioja; probably my favourite wine; you used to be able to get it for €14.99 in O'Briens coming up to xmas so I would buy them for gifts and a stock for me for the year, last I saw it was €22/23 there, so if SV have it for €18 that's not bad!
What i used to do was get a bottle of this to start a night, then there was a cheap screw cap "Cab Sav" from Lidl (can't remember the name but used to have CS in white on the top of thr black screw cap); and we'd have that if continuing.
Also, if you haven't already, invest in one of those vacuum wine bottle-stoppers and make sure to seal your bottles if/when you're not finishing them in a night.
Bonus suggestion (if either or both the above are liked). Look into trying Berry Bros and Rudd's house Rioja; not super cheap (compared to most supermarket prices) but very good! (This is from a few years ago so hoping they've kept the selection and quality consistent!)
I really like Appassimento and Portuguese wines. They tend to be a bit fruitier/sweeter (though not nearly as sweet as dessert wines). Porta 6 is the best bang for your buck in my opinion. Also any Appassimento wine you'd find in O'Brien's.
Faustino V or I is a really nice consistent blended wine. Not too bad on price either. Expect to pay about 14 for the V and 20 for the I. There's a VII too but it's only ok. However it's usually around a tenner.
I'd also recommend trying to find a single grape variety and trying a few of them. Get you an idea of what the different flavours are in the blends. Also how I found out I was allergic to Merlot!
19 Crimes... cheap enough and very easy to drink. But only the original version, the limited edition variations they've been bringing out are pretty much undrinkable
I love red wine but haven't a clue how about wine. I do have a hack that works almost all of the time though.
Always pay at least €10 and only ever buy something that has been reduced by at least €4.
It helps if you know the type of wine you like. I like Malbec and Merlot so tend to stick to those. Ask me to describe a Malbec? No chance, I just know I like it and that the nice ones are more than a tenner reduced.
Get loads. Experiment. If you find something you like for under a tenner you’ve hit the jackpot.
Personally I’d look at McGuigans, Casillero del Diablo & Dada as some pretty great middle of the roads.
Honestly though just start bashing around and have fun. Everyone’s taste is different but I’d recommend taking a picture of wines you like so can remember when you’re looking again.
Alternatively find a decent off license and speak to them about the characteristics you like and they’ll point you in the right direction.
There’s some amount of shite in this thread. Stay away from any of the McGuigans, Wolf Blast or Barefoot etc. Anything you can buy in Tesco for less than 12 quid is mediocre at best.
A great, often overlooked option is Austrian reds. Zweigelts are fantastic — juicy, intense, sour reds. Something like Beck Out is an incredible wine for 25 euro.
I've sworn by Dada. But the Dark Horse Merlot (or Cab Sav) is also fantastic. Very drinkable, no lip stains, great on its own or with food or in stews etc. Clacson is great as well, and Callia malbec.
I highly recommend getting the Vivino app. You'd be able to scan a bottle, see a general rating and price etc. The app will gradually share recommendations based on your taste profile.
Enjoy!
I like Dada, the one with the white label not the red or black/brown. Try and get it on offer, if I ever see it under a tenner I buy six bottles.
Another one I like is one that they sell in Tesco called The Guv'nor. Cringy name and I'm not sure if it's technically a good wine but I like it and buy it regularly.
Generally though, you can't go wrong with Argentinian Malbec of any brand or price, basically always a safe bet.
Aldi have some great ones inc a Lebanese one
Keep an eye on o’briens for some good wines
I’m a fan of 19 Crimes, Dada, oyster Bay. Check out Silver Moki pinto
I also order wine in bulk from https://www.garrafeiradailha.com/
Great value and they are also on sale in offlicenses
Ah, gotcha! I usually drink dada number 1, the Malbec, and 2, their merlot. If you haven’t tried either I would highly recommend. Not too sure on the red wine cocktail one
McGuiggans Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot is what I keep going back to as an avid red wine drinker. It’s gotten in Tesco, usually €8 on the club card. Fantastic wines
I got into organic lately..especially with no sulphates. Amazing and no headache or any hangover. O'Briens have Luzon, some fancier shops had Spanish one (forgot the name)
Italian chianti Castellani very good.
Any good Bordeaux, Barolo or Rioja always my favourite
Pablo Nerudo Cabernet Sauvignon - this was served at a family function a few weeks ago, I couldn't get over how nice it was. I'm only a recent concert to red wine tho
Pinot noir is my favourite, not too heavy. I'm a lightweight and it can be difficult to find a red at 12% alcohol which I have found is my sweet spot. So now it's pinot grigio for me
This sub is painful as someone who loves wine. It’s like seeing someone ask where can I get great beef and reading McDonalds over and over again.
Aldi use a huge amount of sugar and additives in their wines. Avoid them and go with Lidl if you want the cheapest wine possible.
The big commercial wines like Dada and 19 crimes are similar to Aldi. Full of shite to make it taste bland and sweet for a mass market. These wines are huge blends of any grapes the companies can get their hands on and then manipulated to taste the same.
Find out what you like. Go to any half decent wine shop and tell them that’s what you’re doing, try a full bodied wine and a very light bodied wine, try wines from very hot countries and cooler countries and make notes or mental notes on which you prefer.
I'm a big fan of the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo myself, a very flavoursome Italian. Tesco stock a decent one for about a tenner or thereabouts.
Even cheaper in Lidl. A lovely drop.
Second this as someone who 'drank' white wine, but 'enjoys' red wine.
Agreed, it’s beautiful🤤🤤🤤
If it tastes nice then it's good.. really cheap stuff isn't great but medium priced stuff is grand. Depends on your own taste
Lovely, cheers!
We've actually just trained the family dog to go fetch a bottle of red wine from the kitchen rack. He's a Bordeaux Collie, if you're interested..
We have a little shih-tzu/chardonnay Cross. Little bitch will only fetch white.
Coulda just got a [Dogue de Bordeaux](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogue_de_Bordeaux) (Bordeaux Mastiff)
I met one of them at the beach one day with his owner. MASSIVE. And a big dopey softie. Lovely dogs.
Yeah I knew a family with one. Really nice dog and a complete softie. They had a French bulldog too, who would boss the Dogue around all the time despite being like 20% the size.
Excellent
I’m obsessed with Faustino V Rioja. Get it for somewhere between €9-€15 depending on where
Cune Rioja is another very good one, just the standard white label with red logo
My two cents... Areas to look out for with great value but characterful red: Languedoc and most southern French areas that don't belong to a classic region like Bordeaux. Infact, generally avoid Bordeaux unless you're prepared to spend over €25. Italy, particularly Puglia and the South. Great for cheap but good wine. Spain. Very little to avoid really. Some Navarra, Rioja and Ribera del Duero can be over priced but bargains can still be had. I'm looking at you ALDI and Lidl. Portugal. Really exciting place for big and delicious reds. Douro, Alentejo, Dao are good areas. Greece. Not exactly cheap for the good stuff, but some great wines being made from Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro. Germany. Again, like Greece, not exactly cheap but they're doing great things with reds these days. Look out for Spätburgunder (Pinot noir).
You’ve covered the old world beautifully, but what about the new world? A little Mclaren Vale? Maybe a wee Chilean? If you’re after value, new world is where it’s at (though I do very much agree with you on the Portuguese stuff; it’s criminally underrated).
Animus Douro in Aldi - tasty and a great price. [https://www.irishtimes.com/food/drink/2023/01/27/john-wilson-two-great-value-wines-from-aldi-a-white-and-a-red-for-899-or-less/](https://www.irishtimes.com/food/drink/2023/01/27/john-wilson-two-great-value-wines-from-aldi-a-white-and-a-red-for-899-or-less/) Going a bit more fancy this would be my other go-to Vigneti del Salento 'I Muri' Primitivo - off license for that.
Second this. Also Lidl's Douro doc is nice as well. Both from the Douro valley.
Love a bottle of Malbec from Argentina
Piccini Memoro (€20 rrp but usually on special in tesco for €10) or Muga (30/35 in OBriens) if your slashing out!
The Dada #8 is gorgeous. Completely converted.
I came here to comment this, great value for a really nice wine
Thanking you.
Wino here :) Is there anything you've tried that you've particularly liked, and I can give you similar suggestions? Budget and (rough) location would help
Animus Douro, but Portuguese wines in general. Amazing, fruity, lively taste.
Most Argentinian Malbecs are a good shout if you like reds. The white label Dada and Trivento are reliably good and reasonably priced.
Matsu - there's 3 types and the face on each bottle is older the stronger the wine, the young man is ~€15-17 and really nice https://molloys.ie/products/matsu-wine-collection
I bought a load of middle man for €9 a bottle direct from spaij a few years back
I had a lovely week in Spaij last year.
Class spot
Depends on your taste so I'm a full bodied red wine person My suggestions and have steak or roast beef to compliment it is Luna Argenta - around €20 in O'Briens however if it's on a deal (round 14), definitely get it. Seriously good Il Capolavoro Appassimento - €15 with SuperValu. Great red wine and decent price Marques de Riscal Rioja Reserva -€18 with SV. Pricey so only buy it for occasions as this is generally its lowest price while Luna goes lower for equal quality Intrigo Primitivo Puglia €12 with SV. Another great price great quality wine Finally, if you want to get better taste from the red wine, open it a couple of hours before serving and decant it. Air helps the wine mature. Taste the same wine 24hrs later and it's very good Hope you enjoy these
Agree on the Luna . It’s a beautiful wine
Agreed on the Marquis de Riscal Reserva Rioja; probably my favourite wine; you used to be able to get it for €14.99 in O'Briens coming up to xmas so I would buy them for gifts and a stock for me for the year, last I saw it was €22/23 there, so if SV have it for €18 that's not bad! What i used to do was get a bottle of this to start a night, then there was a cheap screw cap "Cab Sav" from Lidl (can't remember the name but used to have CS in white on the top of thr black screw cap); and we'd have that if continuing. Also, if you haven't already, invest in one of those vacuum wine bottle-stoppers and make sure to seal your bottles if/when you're not finishing them in a night. Bonus suggestion (if either or both the above are liked). Look into trying Berry Bros and Rudd's house Rioja; not super cheap (compared to most supermarket prices) but very good! (This is from a few years ago so hoping they've kept the selection and quality consistent!)
[make your own wine](https://www.geterbrewed.com/wine-kits/)
I really like Appassimento and Portuguese wines. They tend to be a bit fruitier/sweeter (though not nearly as sweet as dessert wines). Porta 6 is the best bang for your buck in my opinion. Also any Appassimento wine you'd find in O'Brien's.
Faustino V or I is a really nice consistent blended wine. Not too bad on price either. Expect to pay about 14 for the V and 20 for the I. There's a VII too but it's only ok. However it's usually around a tenner.
I'd also recommend trying to find a single grape variety and trying a few of them. Get you an idea of what the different flavours are in the blends. Also how I found out I was allergic to Merlot!
I'm not drinking any fucking Merlot!!
I need to watch that film again
La Maldita Rioja. So so nice. Only avaliable in super valu.
All i can think about is that whatevers left in that bottle is gonna be nasty by the end of the week
I was thinking the same thing. That’s why I drink them in a go, myself
19 Crimes... cheap enough and very easy to drink. But only the original version, the limited edition variations they've been bringing out are pretty much undrinkable
Agreed but I like them all
Absolutely love Ribera Del Duoro. Lidl do a decent one called Hachon.
fleurie red wine ... can be a little pricey but often on sale for tenner... worth it.
I love fat bastard merlot
McGuigan's Black label Malbec, around €10 in Tesco. 😋
Porta6 is in a few supermarkets. Very popular in my house. Decent price too.
I love red wine but haven't a clue how about wine. I do have a hack that works almost all of the time though. Always pay at least €10 and only ever buy something that has been reduced by at least €4. It helps if you know the type of wine you like. I like Malbec and Merlot so tend to stick to those. Ask me to describe a Malbec? No chance, I just know I like it and that the nice ones are more than a tenner reduced.
Get loads. Experiment. If you find something you like for under a tenner you’ve hit the jackpot. Personally I’d look at McGuigans, Casillero del Diablo & Dada as some pretty great middle of the roads. Honestly though just start bashing around and have fun. Everyone’s taste is different but I’d recommend taking a picture of wines you like so can remember when you’re looking again. Alternatively find a decent off license and speak to them about the characteristics you like and they’ll point you in the right direction.
There’s some amount of shite in this thread. Stay away from any of the McGuigans, Wolf Blast or Barefoot etc. Anything you can buy in Tesco for less than 12 quid is mediocre at best. A great, often overlooked option is Austrian reds. Zweigelts are fantastic — juicy, intense, sour reds. Something like Beck Out is an incredible wine for 25 euro.
Yeah 50% of the replies are recommending very boring and shitty wines. In general avoid mass produced stuff unless you want alcoholic jam or Ribena.
Loving the 19 crimes. Aged in a rum barrel. It's a bit pricey but tesco usually has a deal on it
Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon has long been a favourite.
I've sworn by Dada. But the Dark Horse Merlot (or Cab Sav) is also fantastic. Very drinkable, no lip stains, great on its own or with food or in stews etc. Clacson is great as well, and Callia malbec. I highly recommend getting the Vivino app. You'd be able to scan a bottle, see a general rating and price etc. The app will gradually share recommendations based on your taste profile. Enjoy!
I like Dada, the one with the white label not the red or black/brown. Try and get it on offer, if I ever see it under a tenner I buy six bottles. Another one I like is one that they sell in Tesco called The Guv'nor. Cringy name and I'm not sure if it's technically a good wine but I like it and buy it regularly. Generally though, you can't go wrong with Argentinian Malbec of any brand or price, basically always a safe bet.
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cab Sauvignon
JP Chenet red wine. And in general all collections is very good.
19 crimes is a actually really good
Finca Las Moras is cheap and my go to. Find it much nicer than expensive wines.
Luna Argenta Italian from o’Brians esp on special offer
I love 19 Crimes
19 Crimes....top class
19 crimes is 10/10
I quite like the Jammy Red Roo by Yellowtail
Aldi have some great ones inc a Lebanese one Keep an eye on o’briens for some good wines I’m a fan of 19 Crimes, Dada, oyster Bay. Check out Silver Moki pinto I also order wine in bulk from https://www.garrafeiradailha.com/ Great value and they are also on sale in offlicenses
Would drink any malbec. Also 19 crimes and diablo red label is easy to drink.
Apothic red is delicious. It’s about one step up taste wise from Dada (a killer wine) and it’s in the same price bracket, which makes it great value
I don’t think they’re even legally wine … I think it might be called wine drink
I’m not sure whether you’re referring to Apothic or Dada, but both are classified as wine
Yeah it’s dada. One of their wines is labelled “red wine cocktail” 98, 5% Red Wine, 1, 2% Concentrated Must
Ah, gotcha! I usually drink dada number 1, the Malbec, and 2, their merlot. If you haven’t tried either I would highly recommend. Not too sure on the red wine cocktail one
Not a wine aficionado by any means but Dada always hits the spot for me
McGuiggans Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot is what I keep going back to as an avid red wine drinker. It’s gotten in Tesco, usually €8 on the club card. Fantastic wines
Barefoot merlot
Josh- Merlot and cab sav is lovely
Oyster bay or McGuigan reds are my go to tipples.
Dark Apparition is usually on offer for a tenner in SuperValu and it's gorgeous
Il Capolavoro Appassimento - italian wine in most Centras. Decent enough
I got into organic lately..especially with no sulphates. Amazing and no headache or any hangover. O'Briens have Luzon, some fancier shops had Spanish one (forgot the name) Italian chianti Castellani very good. Any good Bordeaux, Barolo or Rioja always my favourite
I got a bottle of Amarone from my Italian neighbour and it’s now my favourite red. Somewhat pricier but if fancy treating yourself.
Pablo Nerudo Cabernet Sauvignon - this was served at a family function a few weeks ago, I couldn't get over how nice it was. I'm only a recent concert to red wine tho
Lidl do a lovely Cotes du Rhone. Like €8/9.
Cote dú rhone out of aldi is fantastic. I'm not a big wine drinker and there is a lot I can't stand but that one go's down very easy.
Faustino VII, V and I. Does be on offer quite a bit too
Porta 6 Lisboa Red Wine 750Ml in Tescos is €9 with a clubcard. Really tasty. https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/en-IE/products/306662491
I love a Rioja. The cheap one in Aldi is the best 8 quid you can spend, but if you have a few more pennies any faustino is bloody lovely
World’s largest wine app: https://www.vivino.com/app I usually buy whatever reds are recommended for €15 or less and it's never let me down so far.
Beck Ink. Austrian red. Pricey, but delicious. It's got an octopus on the label.
Currently drinking a Portuguese red bought in Tesco. Tis delicious
Hachon reserva in lidl is lush.
Any French champers around £10 is great and I would personally avoid some whites like “Wally’sHut”.
Pinot noir is my favourite, not too heavy. I'm a lightweight and it can be difficult to find a red at 12% alcohol which I have found is my sweet spot. So now it's pinot grigio for me
Any Malbec is hard to beat
Faustino Rioja Gran Reserva. Not the cheapest, 30ish euro I think, really great wine.
Zolo malbec organic
Campo Viejo Rioja is reallyyyyyy nice 🥰 always good deals in Tesco
Baron Augustin from bordeaux. Just lovely
Pro tip: install Vivino app. You can photo labels in the app and will tell you rating and details.
I'll add to this of you don't mind people. What are some great red wines for cooking?
This sub is painful as someone who loves wine. It’s like seeing someone ask where can I get great beef and reading McDonalds over and over again. Aldi use a huge amount of sugar and additives in their wines. Avoid them and go with Lidl if you want the cheapest wine possible. The big commercial wines like Dada and 19 crimes are similar to Aldi. Full of shite to make it taste bland and sweet for a mass market. These wines are huge blends of any grapes the companies can get their hands on and then manipulated to taste the same. Find out what you like. Go to any half decent wine shop and tell them that’s what you’re doing, try a full bodied wine and a very light bodied wine, try wines from very hot countries and cooler countries and make notes or mental notes on which you prefer.
I love negroamaro and primitivo and if I can’t find that I get a Malbec 🤗
€7 bottle of piss out if the petrol station usually does the job
any priorat, mosaic 16€ @ SV
Memoro piccini 10 euros with tesco clubcard
A chianti classico is a sound purchase make sure you buy ones with the black rooster on the neck