THIS LIMITED TIME OFFER IS NOW EXPIRED! Sign up below to make sure you get the next one. Learn more about our winery direct INSIDER DEALS here. BULK BUY! Don't miss this Perfect 10 (94+ point), 150 case, Rhone-style beauty from Dry Creek Valley. Insider Deal All-Star Peterson … [Read more...]
Red Blends! The 2023 Guide To The Best Red Blend Wines
Some of the best value in wine today comes from inexpensive red blends, which are simply a combination of different red grape varieties. When done well, these blends allow the winemakers to essentially take the best of each variety and combine them for what is often much greater than the sum of its parts.
Most red blends these days tend to fall into two categories -- the more traditional dry blends which can come from both Old World (France, Italy, Spain, etc.) and New World (Argentina, South Africa, Chile, New Zealand, etc.) producers. Then there are the ever popular, slightly sweeter (and usually fairly cheap) red blends. These are mostly a California creation but are increasingly found everywhere. Typically a bit sweet, these wines leave (or add) some residual sugar in the mix. Some of the extremely popular mass-markets wines fall into this group.
Click here to get a printable shopping list of the best red blends!
"Bordeaux blends" might be the most famous in this category, usually combining traditional red Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and a few others. Of course, if the wine isn't actually made in Bordeaux, it technically can't be called as such so wineries will typically refer to them as "Bordeaux-style" or alternatively label them as "Meritage", which is the official name for these blends outside of Bordeaux.
In this list we highlight the best of all these styles so you can decide which you prefer! Only those wines that can deliver exceptional quality for the price are reviewed here.
And one last note if you're skeptical of blended wines -- laws in many areas allow a wine to be labeled as a single variety if it contains as little as 75% of that variety. This means your favorite single variety wine might already be a red blend, unbeknownst to you!
Read on for our list of The Best Red Blends Under $20!
Esteban Martin Garnacha Syrah - A $5 Costco Find
A ripe and jammy red blend from Carinena, Spain at a great Costco price. We review the Esteban Martin Garnacha Syrah. A blend of 60% Garnacha and 40% Syrah from vines aged 20-65 years old in the gravelly soils of Carinena, Spain. The wine is vegan friendly. … [Read more...]
Chateau Roudier Montagne Saint-Emilion - A Good Value
Another affordable Bordeaux find at Trader Joe's, we review the Chateau Roudier Montagne Saint-Emilion. The label doesn't specify the blend but Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are the only varieties permitted in the appellation. It is likely … [Read more...]
Dancing Flame Red Blend – A Sure Thing
Revisiting the latest vintage of a nice evening wind down wine from Aldi, the tasty but uncomplicated Dancing Flame Ojos del Salado Red Blend. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Carmenere and 10% Syrah from Central Valley, Chile. … [Read more...]
Baron De Taste Reserve Margaux From Trader Joe's
Another Trader Joe's find from a prestigious area of Bordeaux, but does it measure up? We review the Baron De Taste Reserve Margaux. No details are given but given the Left Bank location this wine is likely a blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon but could also contain … [Read more...]
Tenuta Luce Lucente - Silky Smooth
Take pasta night to the next level with this super delicious Super Tuscan, the Tenuta Luce Lucente Toscana IGT. 50% Merlot and 50% Sangiovese from Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy. The wine spends 12 months in a oak barriques, 85% of which are new and it has 4 g/L of residual … [Read more...]
Trader Joe's Diamond Reserve Pauillac Review
A true Diamond Reserve or just a big name? We review the new Trader Joe's Diamond Reserve Pauillac Lot #04. Today we're checking out the fourth wine in Trader Joe's top of the line Diamond Reserves series. … [Read more...]
Chateau de Marsan Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux Review
A smooth, dense and delicious $8 find from Costco, we review the Chateau de Marsan Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux. 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Lestiac-sur-Garonne district in Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux, France. The wine is aged 12 months in French oak … [Read more...]
3 Rein Never Tame Red Blend From Aldi
Another nice Aldi find for just $8, we review the 3 Rein Never Tame Red Blend. A blend of undisclosed grapes from Columbia Valley, Washington State. … [Read more...]
Chateau de Rouanne Vinsobres - Deliciously Dark and Chewy
A splurgeworthy find from an estate dating back to 1150, the Chateau de Rouanne Vinsobres. A GSM blend of 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre from a single block of 50+ year-old vines in Vinsobres in the southern Rhone Valley of France. The wine is aged in cement … [Read more...]
B by Fonbadet Bordeaux - What A Find!
Trader Joe's slashes the price on an expensive, high scoring Bordeaux. We review the B by Fonbadet Bordeaux. OK, we're not quite sure how Trader Joe's managed this one. Unlike a lot of the wines they stock, there have been a few big-name sellers of this wine. Wine Access … [Read more...]
INSIDER DEAL! Save 63% On This Highly Recommended Reserva
THIS LIMITED TIME OFFER IS NOW EXPIRED! Sign up below to make sure you get the next one. Learn more about our winery direct INSIDER DEALS here. The baby brother to the Gran Reserva is here and it's just as delicious - and costs even less! Get the Calyptra Vivendo Reserve … [Read more...]
Elettra Red Blend from Aldi - Smooth and Sweet
Another sweet and tasty Italian red blend from Aldi, we review the Elettra Red Blend. A blend of Primitivo and Negroamaro from Puglia, Italy. … [Read more...]
Aravail Vineyards Monterey County Red Blend Review
A more sophisticated supermarket blend, the Aravail Vineyards Monterey County Red Blend. 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache from Monterey County, California. A portion of the wine is aged in French and American oak barrels with the remainder in stainless steel tanks. The wine has … [Read more...]
INSIDER DEAL! Frog's Tooth GSM - The Definition of Savory
THIS LIMITED TIME OFFER IS NOW EXPIRED! Sign up below to make sure you get the next one. Learn more about our winery direct INSIDER DEALS here. Save XX% on the Perfect 10 (94+ Point) Frog's Tooth GSM. It's a new vintage of this spectacular, savory Sierra Foothills … [Read more...]
Rancho Viejo Reserva From Trader Joe's - Grab Some
$6.99 well spent. We review the Rancho Viejo Reserva available at Trader Joe's. A red blend of 50% Garnacha, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 10% Tempranillo from Navarra, Spain. … [Read more...]
INSIDER DEAL! Dog & Pony La Nina and Desperado - Red Blend Revelations
THIS LIMITED TIME OFFER IS NOW EXPIRED! Sign up below to make sure you get the next one. Learn more about our winery direct INSIDER DEALS here. Comanche Cellars is back with two extremely small production (only 50 cases made of each), Perfect 10 (94+ points) red blends! Save … [Read more...]
INSIDER DEAL! J Dusi Paper Street The Narrator Red Blend - Pure Decadence
THIS LIMITED TIME OFFER IS NOW EXPIRED! Sign up below to make sure you get the next one. Learn more about our winery direct INSIDER DEALS here. This might be one of the most slam dunk 10 Taste Ratings we've ever given, and you can get it for OVER HALF OFF for the next two … [Read more...]
E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge - A Classic Rhone Value
A great wine for the price that is widely available, including at some Costco locations. We review the E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge. 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre from vines with an average age of 35 years throughout the southern Rhone Valley of France. The … [Read more...]
INSIDER DEAL! Andis Amador Classico Barbera Zinfandel Blend
THIS LIMITED TIME OFFER IS NOW EXPIRED! Sign up below to make sure you get the next one. Learn more about our winery direct INSIDER DEALS here. Two of our favorite things in one wine! Don't miss our 43% savings on the Perfect 10, 94+ Point Andis Wines Amador Classico Barbera … [Read more...]
Zenato Alanera Rosso Veronese - Smooth, Lush and Tasty
Made from partially dried grapes, we review the latest vintage of the Zenato Alanera Rosso Veronese. 55% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 10% Corvinone, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot from the Costalunga Estate in Veneto, Italy. 50% of the grapes used to produce the wine are … [Read more...]
Kirkland Signature Bordeaux Superieur - A Bordeaux Bargain From Costco
Is it still quite the find at only $6.99? We check out the latest vintage of the Kirkland Signature Bordeaux Superieur. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot from Bordeaux, France. It is aged in French oak for 12 months. … [Read more...]
INSIDER DEAL! Save Over 70% On This 91-Point Gran Reserva
THIS LIMITED TIME OFFER IS SOLD OUT! Sign up below to make sure you get the next one. Learn more about our winery direct INSIDER DEALS here. Get the $45 Calyptra Assemblage Gran Reserva for just $12 a bottle, while you can! Massive savings alert! … [Read more...]
Campi Rudi Appassimento Rosso Puglia - Sweet and Tasty
Another nice find at Trader Joe's for just $6.99, the Campi Rudi Appassimento Rosso Puglia IGT Passito. A blend of Negroamaro, Primitivo, Nero di Troya and Sangiovese. It is made in the appassimento method using dried grapes, in this case through a secondary fermentation … [Read more...]
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