The Best Red Wine, According to Experts

Delving into the world of red wine can be complicated, costly and involve a lot of trial and error before you find your sweet spot.

Don’t know your new from your old world? Your Barolo from your Beaujolais? Fear not, as we’ve enlisted Barbara Drew — Master of Wine at luxury London wine merchant, Berry Bros. & Rudd — to share her top tips on storing, serving and shopping red wine, and asked our expert wine panel to select 11 bottles worth buying.

Best red wine 2024

How to serve red wine

Red wine is best served in larger wine glasses, but don’t be tempted to fill them to the brim (even if it has been a long old week). According to Drew, a quarter full is ideal, as the space encourages the wine to bloom and release as many of its delicate aromas as possible.

As for serving temperature, red wines are ideally served just below room temperature (15 to 18 degrees). Suntrap kitchen? Don’t be afraid of popping your red wine in the fridge for 10 minutes prior to serving. Contrary to popular belief, serving red wine too warm risks the aroma being overwhelmed by alcohol.

When, and why, you should decant red wines

Whether to decant your red wine depends largely on what style you’re drinking. “The process of decanting opens up the wine, allowing it to display more subtlety and softer tannins. This can be beneficial to tannic wines in particular, such as malbecs and cabernet sauvignons, as well as young wines, where decanting softens the fruit flavours and draws out more spiced depth,” says Drew.

Note that it’s the action of pouring the wine through oxygen that changes it. We’re not pointing fingers, but removing the cork and leaving the bottle to “breathe” in the corner while you finish preparing dinner won’t have the same effect.

What food to pair with red wine

Forget saving that special bottle for steak night, red wine is far more versatile than that in terms of flavour pairing. For lighter dishes such as a fresh tomato Panzanella, a fruity Beaujolais – which is low in tannins and high in acidity – will work well.

Game and mushroom dishes are a match made in heaven with older Burgundies, as the meatier forest-floor flavours that these wines develop with age complement such dishes perfectly, while Bordeaux is the perfect partner for slow-cooked lamb or aubergine parmigiana.

How to store red wine

Like white wine, red wine should be stored in a cool, dark place on its side to keep the cork moist and prevent oxidisation. If you don’t have access to your own cellar (yet...), then a wine fridge or cupboard under the stairs will do just fine.

Drew stresses that you should never store wine in the garage. Why, you ask? Because the temperatures oscillate between summer and winter, which will cause the wine to age prematurely.

How much should you spend on a bottle of red wine?

It’s not just the grapes, graft and skill that go into the perfect bottle of red – though they are, of course, paramount. As Drew explains, “the price also reflects the cost of the oak barrels, bottle, cork, label, shipping and taxes.” As a result, it pays to spend a little more on a bottle to ensure premium quality. For anything you’re looking to drink right now, £15 to £25 will get you well-made wine from a world-class region such as Rioja or the Barossa Valley.

For wines that you plan to age or invest in, then you should expect to spend a little more. “Around £45 is sufficient for lesser-known Bordeaux gems or village Burgundy wines,” says Drew.

How we test red wine

We asked an expert panel – comprising WSET-accredited winos and consumers – to sample over 78 reds in search of the very best bottles. Each was assessed on its aroma, complexity and balance of flavour, and finish.

These are the reds you'll find on our expert's wine rack in 2023.