These are the only red wines you need to know about, according to TV's Susy Atkins
We’ve all been there – wandering up and down the supermarket aisle, trying to find the best red wine for Sunday lunch – but which are the right bottles to buy?
These days, there’s so much great wine to choose from that it can be hard to know where to begin. With wonderful red wines from the New World up against tried and tested European classics, it’s handy to have a guide to which wines will impress your guests and work best for the occasion – be it Christmas Day, date night or Friday dinner.
To find out more, Country Living interviews one of the UK's best-loved wine critics and Saturday Kitchen star, Susy Atkins, who will be hosting CL's exclusive wine and gin-tasting workshops in Bath this November.
Ahead of the mini-breaks, where you'll have the chance to browse the delights of Bath Christmas Market and stay at a Country Living Hotel, Susy shares her top tips for choosing the perfect red wine.
Best red wine with turkey
For those enjoying a classic Christmas dinner, Susy recommends looking to America’s West Coast.
"There’s a lot of debate on the best red to go with your classic roast turkey and trimmings. My top tip is to go to the Californian section and get a red Zinfandel," she says. "That is a grape that is often made into slightly boring pink wine, but when it’s made into a premium red it has an amazing raspberry flavour.
"It works really well with cranberry sauce or a rich gravy, which are more difficult to match with than the turkey. That wine is absolutely top notch, but go premium – it is Christmas after all!
"If you’re really into your European wines, then France’s Rhône valley has that little bit of spice in the wine that you’ll want with a roast dinner."
Vegetarians might want something a little lighter, she adds. "I think if you’re having robustly flavoured vegetarian or vegan dishes, then stick with Zinfandel or the Rhône Valley, but for more delicate dishes, go lighter. Something like a Pinot Noir will work; New Zealand does some very nice ones – a fresher, lighter red for lighter vegetarian food."
Best Italian red wine
“At this time of year and through to Christmas I really like serving game birds with Tuscan Sangiovese wines,” Susy says. “That is the main grape behind Chianti wines.
"It has a lovely red cherry and strawberry flavour, which works particularly well with pheasant. It’s not too heavy and medium bodied – red berry fruit seems to work so well with pheasant in particular. Avoid the really cheap Chiantis, though - get something premium."
Best cheap red wine
If you’re looking for a bottle of red for around six or seven pounds, then choose wine from warmer climes, explains Susy.
"The countries that produce the most reliable and consistently decent value for money tend to be places with constant warm weather. These wines don’t always have the most complexity, but I’d suggest the south of France, wines from Languedoc (also known as Pays d'Oc), or from the central valley region of Chile. South Africa’s Western Cape and good old Australia are reliable too.”
Best red wine with steak
For steak, Susy says: "The traditional choice would be red wine from Bordeaux, otherwise known as Claret. A more modern choice is Argentina’s Malbec, which is actually a French grape, but it has been grown very successfully in Argentina. It has a soft cherry ripeness. That might not be the most original pairing but it’s hard to go wrong."
"For something a bit different, maybe try a wine from the deep south-west of France, for example Fitou, which is a bit spicier, and really good with a peppered steak."
Best red wine gift
When choosing a present, Susy advises that "it’s hard to go wrong with really fine red Burgundy".
"They’ve just got the wow factor," she explains. "They’re ripe and rich, but at the same time soft and rounded. If you want to impress a wine buff with a really classy wine, then a premium red Burgundy is ideal."
Want to learn more about wine from Susy Atkins? Join one of her exclusive tastings and get into a festive mood with our short breaks to Bath this November. FIND OUT MORE
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