Pinot Noir grapes are thin-skinned, which is why they’re usually a lighter garnet or ruby red colour. Pinot Noir wines can be light to full-bodied with a good amount of acidity, making them taste lively and crisp.

Pinot Noir can be light and fruity with flavours of cherries (red and black), raspberries, floral notes, violets and vanilla. They can also be bold, complex and earthy, with notes of spice, mushroom and forest floor.

Baden in Germany and Burgundy, France, are well known for high quality Pinot Noir. You’ll also find beautiful Pinot Noir from California and the Napa Valley in the USA, and the Mornington Peninsula in Australia.

If you’re looking for a New Zealand drop to try, Central Otago and Marlborough are famous for their stunning Pinot Noir. Choose Central Otago for more fruity flavours, and Marlborough for a more earthy, savoury profile.

Syrah grapes have thick, dark skin, which makes for intense, deep purple-coloured wines - some of the darkest red wines in the world. Syrah has punchy fruit flavours, medium acidity and high tannins (making it a dry wine).

Syrah wines can range from medium-bodied with fresh black fruit aromas and peppered notes, to full-bodied, smooth and intense, with ripe black fruit and hints of liquorice. Syrah can also be aged in oak barrels.

Syrah is famously grown in Northern Rhone, France. The Barossa region of Australia is well known for producing Shiraz. What’s the difference between Syrah and Shiraz? They’re actually just different names for the same grape variety

If you’re after a New Zealand choice, Marlborough and Hawkes Bay Shiraz and Syrah wines really stand out. They both have a mouthwateringly fine palate, with flavours of dark forest fruits and black pepper.

Merlot grapes make plummy, smooth, well-rounded wines, with a medium level of tannins and acidity. That means they’re not too sweet, not super dry, and easy to drink - the perfect entry-level red wine.

Merlot is a fruit-forward variety, meaning the fruit flavours are dominant. Think plum and dark berry fruits (cherry, blackberry and raspberry), as well as chocolate, liquorice, herbal notes and spice (cloves, oak).

The Merlot grape originally comes from Bordeaux in France, but it’s now grown widely around the world. You can find great Merlot from Tuscany, Californian, Chile, Australia and right over here in New Zealand.

For a great New Zealand Merlot, look for one from Hawkes Bay or Marlborough. The long, warm summers produce fresh flavours with great length (meaning the flavours will linger in your mouth after every sip).

Cabernet is a rich, full-bodied wine with good acidity, making it tart, crisp and mouthwatering. Its thick-skinned grape gives the wine lots of colour, flavour and tannins (making it a dry red wine).

Choose Cabernet for flavours of cedar, blackcurrant leaves, smoked wood, black cherry, blackberry, tobacco, leather and spice. Cabernet wines that are aged in oak will have delicious smoky, toasty flavours.

European Cabernet Sauvignon is usually blended with other grapes that are native to the area, so you’ll find Merlot blends from Bordeaux, France, Sangiovese blends from Italy and Tempranillo blends from Spain.

The Hawkes Bay produces stunning Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux blends that are definitely worth trying. The long hours of bright, warm sun create full-bodied wines with flavours of ripe black cherry and blackcurrant.

Malbec is also a thick-skinned grape variety. A full-bodied wine, Malbec tends to have a little more ‘oomph’ than Tempranillo. Malbec has medium tannins and medium-low acidity, so it’s smooth and not too dry.

Love the taste of a fruity red wine? Choose Malbec to enjoy the juicy, bold fruit flavours of blackberries, black cherry, red plum and pomegranate, as well as notes of vanilla, sweet tobacco, dark chocolate, and oak.

Tempranillo (pronounced Tem-prah-nee-yo) is a black, thick-skinned grape variety. Tempranillo wines can be either medium to full-bodied, and include high levels of acidity and tannins (which make for a dry wine).

Try Tempranillo for complex flavours of red and dark fruits, including cherry and plum, as well as earthy, herbal notes and fig. Aged Tempranillo (Reserva or Gran Reserva) will have deeper fruit notes and leather flavours.