10 Best Wine Varietals for Beginners: A Guide to Popular Red Wines

If you’re a wine enthusiast. I bet you’ve googled these questions, thinking of asking someone, "What's the best wine for beginners?" or "What should I even start with, red, or is white or pink easier, or pink, since it’s been trending so much?"

And honestly, that makes sense. If you’re just getting into wine, dry wine can feel kind of harsh and confusing at first. You might really want to be someone who “gets” wine, but then every bottle you try tastes a little off, and you wonder if you’ve missed something. You’ve not. Wine is an acquired taste, and the only real way to figure out what you like is to keep trying different bottles and paying attention to how each one feels to you.

So if you’re starting out, this is just the place to begin. These are the reds that tend to be the easiest for beginners to actually enjoy, not just tolerate—suggestions, not a rulebook that everyone has to follow.

One little note before the list: The wines below are a good place to start because they’re usually fruit-forward, which means they taste bright, juicy, and familiar rather than dry or overly intense. They also tend to have softer tannins (that dry, gripping feeling you get from black tea), so they feel smoother and less gripping in your mouth, with a body that’s somewhere between light and full.

1. Pinot Noir

   This might be the wine that finally makes things click for you. It’s pale in colour, light to medium in body, and the tannins are usually very soft. What you’ll taste is mostly cherry and raspberry, sometimes a little earthiness or forest-floor character underneath if it’s from Burgundy, and not much that feels heavy-handed. Wine Folly calls it the beginner’s wine for a reason. It goes with roast chicken, mushroom pasta, and even salmon, so once you find a bottle you like, you’ll probably come back to it again.

   
   

2. Merlot

   A real crowd-pleaser, and for good reason. You’ll usually get black cherry, plum, and sometimes raspberry up front, with a little chocolate, vanilla, or mocha in the background from the oak. It has just enough structure to feel like a red wine, but not so much that it turns sharp. If you’re bringing something to a dinner and don’t know what people are eating, a red wine is an easy one to reach for. It works with pasta, burgers, roast vegetables, and a lot of poultry and other light meats, too.

   
   

3. Shiraz/Syrah

   Same grape, different name depending on where it’s grown, and it has a little more personality than the first two. You’ll often get dark berries, black pepper, and sometimes smoky or savoury notes. The Australian versions especially tend to be bigger, riper, and more fruit-forward. This one can feel intimidating at first, but if you like something a little bolder, it’s a wonderful step up, especially with barbecue or a rich stew.

   
   

4. Malbec

   This one often looks heavier than it drinks, which is part of the charm. You get dark plum and blackberry, usually with a soft chocolatey or smoky finish, and tannins that are medium to firm but still feel polished rather than harsh. Argentina makes the version most people mean when they say Malbec, and it’s usually priced way more reasonably than the flavour suggests, which makes it easy to keep buying without overthinking it.

   
   

5. Grenache

   Medium- to full-bodied, but still easy-going. Sort of like raspberry and red cherry with a peppery, spicy edge, plus softer tannins that make it easy and pleasing to sip on its own. It’s a natural match for Mediterranean food, grilled vegetables, lamb, and olives, but it also works beautifully with random leftovers when you just want something comforting in the glass.

   
   

6. Zinfandel

   Jammy, a little sweet-leaning in the way it reads, and full of blackberry, bramble, or plum, depending on the bottle. You’ll often notice warm baking spices in the background, mostly cinnamon and nutmeg, which gives it this almost dessert-adjacent feel. It typically has a medium to full body and high alcohol content, making it a suitable choice for those who have already established their preferences and are seeking a wine with a bit more weight.

   
   

7. Tempranillo

   Spain's signature grape, often sold as Rioja depending on the region. It opens with red and dark fruit like cherry, plum, or dried fig, and then oak aging brings in vanilla, toasted spice, and sometimes even a little leather or tobacco if it’s an older bottle. It goes especially well with grilled meats and hard cheeses, and it also ages better than most of the wines on this list, if that’s something you ever want to explore later.

   
   

8. Sangiovese

   The grape behind Chianti, and one you’ll probably love if you’re eating Italian food. It’s bright and cherry-driven, sometimes with hints of tomato leaf or dried herbs, and it finishes with a tangy lift thanks to its high acidity. That acidity isn’t a flaw; it’s what makes the wine so good with tomato sauce and olive oil, which is why you’ll see it on so many pizza and pasta menus—an Italian favourite, for sure.

   
   

9. Carménère

   Chile's underdog, and one a lot of people haven’t tried just because it doesn’t come up as often. It’s deep in colour, very fruity, and mostly dark berries, with a little green streak of bell pepper or herbs running through it. That vegetal note can sound strange at first, but in the glass, it usually just gives the wine more character without ever tipping into harsh or bitter territory.

   
   

10. Cabernet Sauvignon

    The classic one everyone knows, and there’s a reason it’s the default answer when someone asks for a red recommendation. You’ll usually get blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, cedar, and sometimes green herb or mint notes, all backed by firmer tannins and a body that can hold its own next to steak. It’s the boldest and most structured wine on this list, and it tends to reward a little patience if you let it breathe for a few minutes before drinking.

At the end of the day, there isn’t one perfect first bottle, and there never was. You might not love every wine you try, and that’s bound to happen; between those face-making taste bottles and the ones that are too pricey, you’ll find one that hits just right. For now, just pick one from this list that sounds good to you, pour a glass, and give it a swirl! That’s really how you start.