10 bottles worth chasing

Typical for the grape: Blackberry, dark chocolate and black pepper. The grape has red flesh as well as red skin, so the wine runs nearly black.

Drinks like Petite Sirah or an inky Malbec.

The catch: It's big and grippy. If you like light reds, start with the Schiava.

My own favorite Alicante, Aluado, was sold out at wine.com and not listed at Total Wine when I checked.

Disclosure: some links here are affiliate links — if you buy through them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Learn more You must be 21+ to buy alcohol in the United States.Wine.com is the seller: they take the payment, ship the bottle and handle returns, and what's available depends on the state you pick at checkout. I never see your order.

Typical for the grape: Sour cherry, dried herbs and a slate edge, with acid and tannin to match.

The catch: Baga runs high in both, so if you want soft and plush, this isn't your bottle. It's also a one-liter bottle, a third more wine than the others.

Typical for the grape: A Port grape made as a dry red: blackberry, violet and a little mint.

Drinks like Cabernet Sauvignon with a violet lift.

The catch: It's a 2017, older than anything else here, so expect a more mature wine than the rest.

Typical for the grape: Like Alicante Bouschet, Saperavi has red flesh. Blackberry, plum and licorice.

Drinks like Malbec with a wild, savory edge.

The catch: wine.com sells it as a Saperavi red blend and doesn't say what else is in it.

I’ve tasted this one

Naturally semi-sweet and velvety, with raspberry and a citrus lift. It's made in Racha, in the mountains of western Georgia.

The catch: It's semi-sweet, and it isn't on wine.com. Look for a shop with a Georgian or Eastern European shelf.

Best Buy Liquors listed it at about $22 when I checked in October 2026. No link, because I couldn’t confirm stock myself.

I’ve tasted this one

Crisp, with cherry, pomegranate and raspberry, and it holds up for days after you open it. It's mostly Areni, with Haghtanak.

Drinks like an earthy, old-world Pinot Noir.

The catch: It's also semi-sweet, and the US label names the country rather than the producer.

Total Wine listed it at about $11 when I checked in October 2026. No link, because I couldn’t confirm stock myself.

Typical for the grape: Dark plum, black cherry and cocoa.

Drinks like a cooler, more mineral cousin of Syrah.

The catch: It's firm and tannic for a mountain red, so it's better with dinner than on its own.

Typical for the grape: Pale and light, with strawberry, violet and almond. Serve it a little cool.

The catch: It's a light red and will never be a status wine. If you want structure, look elsewhere on this list.

Typical for the grape: Tomato, dried rose, olive and tar.

Drinks like Nebbiolo: tar and roses.

The catch: Young, it's austere, all grip and acid. This is a 2024, so give it an hour in a decanter.

Typical for the grape: Raspberry, pomegranate and a graphite edge.

Drinks like a fragrant, mineral Pinot Noir or Cru Beaujolais.

The catch: That's a sale price, down from about $22 when I checked, so it may go back up.