The main types of red wine are named after their grapes, and the easiest way to understand them is by body, the sense of weight in your mouth. Light reds include Pinot Noir and Gamay, medium reds include Sangiovese, Merlot and Tempranillo, and full-bodied reds include Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec and Nebbiolo.
Below you will find a chart of fifteen red wines with their body, tannin, typical flavours and classic region, then a short profile of each one with a food idea. Start with the chart for a quick answer, then read on to see why two reds can taste so different.
Red wine body chart: the main types at a glance
This chart runs from the lightest red wines at the top to the fullest at the bottom. Body is how heavy the wine feels, tannin is the drying, grippy feeling on your gums, and the flavours are the ones people most often notice. Treat these as typical styles: producer, vintage and oak all change the result.
Red wine is one of six broad wine families. For the whole picture, including white, rosé, sparkling, sweet and fortified wine, see our overview of the types of wine.
What makes red wines taste different?
All red wine is made from dark-skinned grapes, and the juice is left in contact with the skins while it ferments. The skins give the wine its colour and most of its tannin. Four things then shape how a red wine feels and tastes.
Body. The weight of the wine in your mouth, like skimmed versus whole milk. Alcohol is the biggest driver, so a ripe red at 15% feels heavier than a cool-climate red at 12.5%.
Tannin. A natural compound from grape skins, seeds and stems, and also from oak barrels. It dries your gums and the inside of your cheeks, like strong black tea. Thick-skinned grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon usually give more tannin than thin-skinned ones such as Pinot Noir. Our guide to what tannins are explains more.
Acidity. The fresh, mouth-watering quality that makes you want another sip. Reds from cooler places, or from naturally sharp grapes such as Barbera, feel brighter and lighter.
Fruit. Lighter reds tend to taste of red fruit such as cherry, raspberry and strawberry. Fuller reds lean towards black fruit such as blackberry, blackcurrant and plum. Oak adds vanilla or spice, and age brings savoury leather and earth.
The quick rule: pale, thin-skinned grapes from cool places make light reds. Dark, thick-skinned grapes from warm, sunny places make full-bodied reds. Nebbiolo is the famous exception, pale in colour yet high in tannin.
Light-bodied red wines
Light reds are the gentlest starting point. They have soft tannin and lively acidity, and they taste best slightly cool, at 12–14°C.
Pinot Noir
Taste: red cherry, raspberry and, as it ages, earthy mushroom and forest floor.
Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned grape that makes pale, silky wine. Its home is Burgundy in France, and it also does well in Oregon, New Zealand and Germany, where it is called Spätburgunder. Try it with roast duck.
Gamay
Taste: juicy raspberry, red cherry and a floral hint of violet.
Gamay is the grape of Beaujolais, just south of Burgundy. Simple versions such as Beaujolais Nouveau are light and fruity, while the ten cru villages make deeper wines. A board of cured meats and pâté is a classic match.
Medium-bodied red wines
Medium-bodied reds are the most food-friendly group: enough structure for a meal without feeling heavy.
Grenache
Taste: ripe strawberry, raspberry, white pepper and dried herbs.
Grenache, called Garnacha in Spain and Cannonau in Sardinia, loves heat and often reaches high alcohol, yet its colour stays fairly pale. It is the main grape of most Châteauneuf-du-Pape and grows widely across southern France, Spain and Australia. Serve it with grilled sausages and herby roast vegetables.
Barbera
Taste: sour cherry and plum with bright, refreshing acidity.
Barbera comes from Piedmont in north-west Italy, sold as Barbera d'Asti and Barbera d'Alba. It has low tannin and high acidity, which makes it easy to drink young. Try it with a salami pizza.
Sangiovese
Taste: sour cherry, tomato leaf, dried herbs and a savoury, earthy edge.
Sangiovese is Italy's most planted red grape and the heart of Tuscany. It is the main grape of Chianti and the only grape in Brunello di Montalcino. Its high acidity and firm tannin are made for tomato-based pasta.
Cabernet Franc
Taste: raspberry, red pepper, crushed herbs and a touch of graphite.
Cabernet Franc is one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon. In the Loire Valley, in places such as Chinon and Bourgueil, it makes fresh, fragrant reds on its own, and in Bordeaux it is a blending partner. It suits roast pork with herbs.
Merlot
Taste: plum, black cherry and chocolate, with soft, rounded tannin.
Merlot is the most planted grape in Bordeaux and leads the blends of the Right Bank, around Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. It is also grown in Italy, Chile and Washington State. Try it with a cheeseburger.
Tempranillo
Taste: cherry, dried fig, leather and, when aged in American oak, vanilla and coconut.
Tempranillo is Spain's signature red grape, behind Rioja and Ribera del Duero, and in Portugal it is known as Tinta Roriz. Aged versions can lean towards full-bodied. Try it with slow-roast pork or chorizo.
Full-bodied red wines
Full-bodied reds are rich and powerful, usually with riper fruit, more alcohol and more tannin. Serve them at 15–18°C, a little below a warm room, and pair them with hearty food.
Carménère
Taste: plum, blackberry, green pepper and a hint of spice.
Carménère came from Bordeaux, but today it is Chile's own grape. For many years Chilean growers thought their vines were Merlot, until an expert identified them as Carménère in 1994. It sits on the lighter edge of this group. Try it with beef empanadas.
Bordeaux blend
Taste: blackcurrant, plum, cedar and tobacco.
A Bordeaux blend is a style rather than a grape: mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, sometimes with small amounts of other grapes. On the Left Bank, Cabernet Sauvignon usually leads, while on the Right Bank Merlot does. Roast lamb is the classic partner.
Zinfandel
Taste: jammy blackberry, raspberry, black pepper and sweet spice.
Zinfandel is California's signature red, often ripe and high in alcohol, frequently 14.5% or more. DNA testing showed it is the same grape as Primitivo from Puglia in southern Italy, which originally came from Croatia. It loves barbecue ribs.
Malbec
Taste: blackberry, plum, violet and cocoa, with velvety tannin.
Malbec started in Cahors in south-west France, but it found fame in Mendoza, Argentina, where high-altitude vineyards give deep colour and plush fruit. Pair it with grilled steak and chimichurri.
Syrah / Shiraz
Taste: blackberry, black pepper and smoked meat in France, riper dark fruit and chocolate in Australia.
Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape with two names. The Northern Rhône, home of Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie, makes savoury, peppery versions, while the Barossa Valley in South Australia makes bold, generous ones. Try it with a pepper-crusted venison or beef stew.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Taste: blackcurrant, cedar, mint and, with oak, vanilla and toast.
Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc and the world's most widely planted red grape. Thick skins give firm tannin, which softens with age. Its classic homes are the Médoc in Bordeaux and Napa Valley in California. Serve it with roast beef or a hard, aged cheese.
Nebbiolo
Taste: sour cherry, rose, tar and dried herbs.
Nebbiolo looks pale and can turn orange-tinged with age, yet it has some of the highest tannin and acidity of any red. It makes Barolo and Barbaresco in Piedmont, wines that often need years to soften. Try it with mushroom risotto or slow-braised beef.
Sweet red wines in brief
Almost all the red wines above are made dry, which means nearly all the grape sugar has been turned into alcohol. Under EU rules a still wine counts as dry at up to 4 g/L of sugar, or up to 9 g/L when the acidity is high, and as sweet above 45 g/L. If you want to know what dry really means for reds, read our guide to dry red wine.
A few red wines are sweet on purpose:
Port from Portugal's Douro Valley. Grape spirit is added during fermentation, which stops it and leaves natural sweetness. Port is usually around 19–22% alcohol.
Lambrusco from Emilia-Romagna in Italy. This fizzy red comes in dry (secco), medium sweet (amabile) and sweet (dolce) versions, so check the label.
Brachetto d'Acqui from Piedmont, a lightly sparkling, sweet red that smells of roses and strawberries.
Banyuls from the far south of France, a sweet fortified wine made mainly from Grenache.
There is no single best red wine, only the one that suits your taste. If you are new to red wine, start light and work your way up the chart. Pinot Noir and Gamay are soft, fruity and low in tannin, and Merlot is a smooth step up. Then move on to Sangiovese or Tempranillo, Malbec, and finally Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo.
Try this: buy a Pinot Noir and a Cabernet Sauvignon and taste them side by side. Notice the difference in colour, weight and how dry each one leaves your gums. That one comparison teaches you more about body and tannin than any chart.
Serving temperature matters more than most people think. Light reds such as Pinot Noir and Gamay taste best at 12–14°C, and medium and full reds at 15–18°C. Most rooms are warmer, so twenty minutes in the fridge helps. Store unopened bottles somewhere dark at a steady 12–13°C.
Wine is for adults of legal drinking age, and it is best enjoyed in moderation, ideally with food.
The best-known types of red wine are named after their grapes: Pinot Noir and Gamay (light-bodied), Grenache, Sangiovese, Barbera, Merlot and Tempranillo (medium-bodied), and Zinfandel, Malbec, Syrah or Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo (full-bodied). Some famous reds are blends rather than single grapes, such as a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
What is the best type of red wine?
No single red wine is best, because it depends on your taste and your food. If you like soft, fruity wines, try Pinot Noir, Gamay or Merlot. If you like bold, rich wines, try Malbec, Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon. With tomato dishes, high-acid Italian reds such as Sangiovese or Barbera are hard to beat. Tasting a light and a full red side by side is the quickest way to find your style.
What is a good light red wine for beginners?
Pinot Noir and Gamay are the classic light reds for beginners. Both have soft tannin, fresh acidity and bright red-fruit flavours such as cherry and raspberry, so they feel smooth rather than drying. Gamay is the grape of Beaujolais in France. Serve either one slightly cool, at about 12 to 14°C, which brings out the fruit and keeps them refreshing.
What does a red wine body chart show?
A red wine body chart arranges red wines from light to full-bodied, which is how heavy they feel in your mouth. Light reds such as Pinot Noir sit at one end and full reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo at the other. Good charts also show tannin, the drying feeling on your gums, and typical flavours, so you can choose a wine by style rather than by guessing.
Are all red wines dry?
No, but most are. Nearly all everyday red wines are fermented until almost no sugar is left, which makes them dry. Sweet reds do exist: Port from Portugal is fortified and naturally sweet, Lambrusco from Italy comes in dry and sweet versions, and Brachetto d'Acqui is a lightly sparkling sweet red. A red that tastes fruity is often still dry, because ripe fruit flavour is not the same as sugar.
What are the different types of wine and their taste?
Wine falls into six broad families. Red wine tastes of red or black fruit and can be drying from tannin. White wine is usually fresher, with citrus, apple or tropical fruit. Rosé is light and fruity, sparkling wine is crisp and bubbly, sweet wine tastes of honey and ripe fruit, and fortified wines such as Port and Sherry are stronger and richer. Within each family, the grape and the place shape the taste.
Which red is in your glass?
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