Food
Red wine
Introduction
Our panel found plenty of good-value warming winter reds.
We lined up a selection of 50 New Zealand and Australian wines – pinot noir, cabernet blends, syrah and its “alter ego” shiraz – all priced under $35. We then asked our wine experts what they thought.
They found plenty of top-quality wines among the Aussie shiraz and Kiwi syrah. So if you’re after a good-value red, give these a go.
About our tasting
Our wine tasting in action
Consumer tastings differ from industry wine tastings and competitions. We buy our wine from shops just like consumers do – most other tastings and awards use wine submitted by the winemaker or supplier.
The wines were grouped according to their variety and vintage. Then they were tasted “blind”.
Our judges are a mix of industry professionals and experienced amateurs. Each judge independently gives the wines a score out of 20, following the international scoring system for wines. The judges discuss the wine after tasting – still without knowing the wines – and then agree on a final score. Our star ratings are based on this agreed score.
Our panel
Larry McKenna
Director and winemaker for Escarpment Vineyard, Martinborough. Chairperson of the Bragato Wine Awards. Past chairperson of the International Cool Climate Wine Show and the International Chardonnay Challenge.
Sue Davies
Wine consultant with 20 years' experience in the wine industry and owner of Wine2Trade (distributor of premium, hand-crafted boutique wines). National wine-options champion and Royal Easter Show Wine Awards judge.
Diane Langman
Bachelor of Hospitality Management lecturer at Wellington Institute of Technology. Has more than 20 years’ hospitality-industry experience.
Gary Bowering
Wine enthusiast who enjoys winter because he can crack open a good red.
See We recommend for details of the top-rating wines.
Wine and cheese matching
There’s no right or wrong when matching wine and cheese but there are guidelines.
Match by intensity of flavour. Big, intense wines generally go well with cheeses that have strong characteristics and light, fruitier wines generally match well with creamier, mellow cheeses.
Give these combinations a go:
- Cabernet goes well with camembert, sharp cheddar, aged gouda, gorgonzola and Danish blue.
- Merlot teams well with camembert, romano, parmesan, gouda and gorgonzola.
- Pinot noirs are suited to feta, gruyere, swiss and edam cheeses.
- Shiraz/syrahs are more intense so suit sharp, aged cheddar, gouda and milder blues.
- Up for a taste sensation? Experiment with stinky Roquefort or stilton and a tawny or vintage port.
Matching wine and cheese by region isn’t failsafe, but it’s a good rule of thumb. So, if you’re drinking an Italian red, pair it with an Italian cheese like parmesan or gorgonzola. If you’re drinking a French white, choose a French cheese like camembert.