Delicious red wines to warm up with this autumn

Whether you’re counting down to dinnertime with everyday drinkability, reaching out for a wintry treat that’s easy on the wallet, or splashing out on a bonza bottle to celebrate the season, these ruby reds will curb the chill…

1. Asda Extra Special Primitivo 2020, Puglia, Italy, £7, Asda

For a glug of Italian hospitality and warmth, you can’t go wrong with this plush primitivo. The grape produces intense reds with soft tannins and spicy, velvety fruit. The blackberry flavours in this own-label bottling are bellissimo with a bowl of meatballs and spaghetti.

2. Prestige de Calvet Côtes-du-Rhône Villages 2021, France, £7.50, Tesco

If you love a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this southern star from a reliable producer offers an excellent comparison – a stunner without being spendy. Rich, ripe and intense with a solid core of perfumed brambly fruit spiked with exotic spice, everything melds seamlessly together on the long, fruit-filled finish. A crowd pleaser with Sunday roast.

3. Leaps & Bounds Shiraz 2020, South Eastern Australia, £7 (reduced from £8), Sainsbury’s

A wine with a back story, this easy drinking, lightly-spiced shiraz is inspired by man’s best friend – a masterless dog named Bob, who travelled thousands of miles across the railroads of Australia as a companion to many train drivers and engineers. Expressive and lots of fun, enticing notes of juicy plums and ample berry fruits draw you in, with similar flavours flooding the palate – topped with sweet spice, finishing long and satisfying. One for bangers and mash with onion gravy.

4. Campo Viejo Winemakers’ Blend Red Wine 2019, Spain, £8.25, Morrisons

A Spanish gem with vibrant, sun-kissed fruit, this versatile red is said to be a celebration of the well-known producers’ three winemakers coming together. Delicious from word go and very smooth, lifted red fruit aromas with well-defined cherry, plum and blueberry fruit, soft, toasty notes and enough depth and freshness to make it a winner with roasted autumn vegetables, charcuterie and pretty much anything you fancy.

5. Tesco Finest The Trilogy Malbec 2018, Argentina, £13, Tesco

If you’re a malbec fan, this inky black beauty is a great go-to with its concentrated aromas of violet fruits, plum, chocolate and vanilla. A generous core of ripe blueberry, cassis and plummy fruit topped with pepper and spice that feels smooth and soft, with a long, persistent finish. Gorgeous with grilled meats or late autumn BBQ.

6. De Martino Estate 25th Anniversary Carménère 2019, Maipo Valley, Chile, £21.99, Virgin Wines

Red wine lovers are spoilt for choice when it comes to Chile’s rich pickings, but this carménère really does highlight how the spice-edged forest fruits with hints of coffee and plums on a rich, opulent palate keep you lusting after more. A real nugget, this celebratory bottle from one of the country’s giants is worth splashing out on when the nights draw in and you want to up your wine game with a beam of South American sunshine.