The Auswine Forum

Im looking for a nice red wine options

Im usually a tawny port drinker
I love tawny but want to venture into reds i dont no where to start,

I no i dont like white wine or ruby port

I bought a bottle of notte rossa primitovo wine its nice but I found it a little dry

What to try next?

What's nice will be specific to you. That said, it's useful info to know where you're coming from.

Primitivo not a bad starting point, as it's typically not dry from tannins, and if the alc % is up at 15% the acidity is unlikely to be spiky (unless they added extra acid in the winemaking). Try others with different alc% and see which you prefer. It's not a perfect measure of style, but can be indicative. Personally I prefer them around 13% alc and with 5+ years in the cellar to get some of the aged complexity you see in Tawny port, but more people prefer it at 15+% with much richer, bolder fruit. The greater intensity can appeal.

Worth trying a commercial Shiraz (the likes you'll find plenty of on supermarket shelves), to see if you like the lower levels of acidity and plush fruit.

Grenache another unlikely to have drying tannins, either as a varietal Grenache, or a blend with Shiraz and Mataro/Mourvedre. A classic style from Southern Rhone in France, that found a solid home in Aus.

Good luck.... and welcome!

Thanks for the help

Im of to dan murfys today to have a look

So if i was to get an Italian wine.under 25$ a bottle

What would I be looking for?

Nice red, easy drinking,?
Ill looknformone a little more aged
Any particular grapes used bettern fo flavour?
Ill try a different alcohol content %

Or any decent brands to look.out for while.im there?

Some options:
- Barbera d'Asti or Barbera d'Alba. Bright fruit, light tannins, firm acidity. Michele Chiarlo a solid producer.
- Valpolicella / Valpolicella rispasso. Fruit quite rich / bold. The ripasso versions emphasise the richness. Nothing I'd recommend on the DM site though.
- Nero d'Avola (but often it goes under a Puglian regional name, and as a blend). Warm, sometimes slightly spicy/figgy wines. Wow! Dan Murphy lists loads of them. Might be interesting to try an Aussie version vs. an Italian one. For Italy, Tasca (d'Almarita) are a long-established producer, so I'd be tempted to try the Tasca Regaleali Nero d'Avola. Others can suggest an Aussie opponent.
- Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. From Southern Italy as well, but more likely to be bright fruited than Nero d'Avola from Puglia/Sicily. Illuminati a solid producer.

If wanting to try Nebbiolo (a grape whose wine can age brilliantly), perhaps Bel Colle nebbiolo. I don't particularly rate the producer, but it should be solid and there are worse producers

A few sangiovese wines / chiantis there. Well worth trying, though the subtle bitter twist can take some adjusting to.

Also in general expect a bit more acid than Aussie wines. Partly because they're typically drunk with food, but also a style preference. Food should also help if you find the acidity or tannins drying in the mouth.

Hope this helps. I love Italian wines, and being based in the UK, have been able to have lots of holidays there. There is so much to explore.

Port style reds? Rutherglen durif with high alcohol? Agree with Sicily as option.

Yes some of those high octane Rutherglen wines would be a useful data point for sure e.g. Warrabilla

One general piece of advice, treat every bottle or glass of wine as a learning step.

Paying attention to what's in the glass slowly reveals what appeals to our own palates.

Listening to self-proclaimed experts, be they a poster enthusing about Italian wines on a wine forum , or someone with a fancy website or book deal, can tell you something about their palate, but bugger all about your own. Treat everyone else's opinion (absolutely including my own) with a healthy pinch of salt.

What you taste, and what you think of it, is the only opinion that truly matters. The journey, is very enjoyable, but we can find ourselves lost if we seek short-cuts.

danparry91 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 7:28 am
So if i was to get an Italian wine.under 25$ a bottle

What would I be looking for?

Nice red, easy drinking,?
Ill looknformone a little more aged
Any particular grapes used bettern fo flavour?
Ill try a different alcohol content %

Or any decent brands to look.out for while.im there?

Under $25? You won’t get much from Italy in Australia for that. To be fair, a $25 ITA wine in Australia would be around $10 in ITA.

Aldi have a Chianti Superiore for $11.99
Try that and see how you go. For the money it's quite drinkable and reasonably varietal