This summer, I shared some of my Wacky White favorites so thought it was time to feature some Weird Reds to get us through fall and the holidays. Yes, I tend to like red wines that may not be familiar to some, but they offer lots of nuance and flavors I enjoy, not to mention, it’s fun to talk about them. Nothing against a good Cabernet (I mean, you wouldn’t be a Texan if you didn’t love a Cab and a slab), but I like to explore other wine regions and seek out different red varieties to mix things up.
Here are some recent weird reds I’ve enjoyed.
Agiorgitiko (starting off with a hard-to-pronounce variety!)
This big, tannic red from Greece definitely tops my list of weird reds. The most widely planted red grape in Greece, its best expressions come from the Nemea region. The 2018 Palivou Nemea has notes of cherry, black cherry, black raspberry and vanilla+cocoa. Think chocolate-covered cherry on the front palate with an earthy, grippy finish.
Sagrantino
The Sagrantino grape is a promising red grape in Texas given its Umbria roots in Central Italy. With a climate similar to Texas, this big red grape is like the Tannat grape with high polyphenol (antioxidants) levels. Messina Hof has pioneered this grape and its 2018 Sagrantino Reserva is one of my favorites, with notes of cherry, black cherry, cocoa, earth, mint and leather and grippy tannins. (On the finish, it brought back fab memories of York Peppermint Patties.)
Lagrein
This past summer, I visited Alto Adige, Italy after cycling in the Dolomites and got hooked on Lagrein, a pretty red wine from a cold-climate region known mostly for white wines. The Casata Montfort 2020 Lagrein has notes of black cherry, black berry, cocoa and vanilla, with lush tannins. Reminds me of a blackberry cobbler.
Cinsault
Cinsault is a popular red grape, most often found in the Southern Rhone and Languedoc wine regions and is used to make Rhone blends and Provencal rosé. What makes this weird is that I found a Cinsault from South Africa. The 2021 Cinsault from Craven Wines out of Stellenbosch is such a delight! A beautiful light red with notes of cranberry and raspberry with spicy cinnamon notes on the finish. Put a chill on it!
Hope this sparks some curiosity to explore some new wine varieties and regions! Cheers!
Denise Clarke is an avid wine enthusiast who loves sharing and teaching people about wine. She is a Certified Wine Educator, Certified Sommelier, WSET Advanced graduate and an expert on Texas wine. Owner of Denise Clarke PR, she currently represents Texas Fine Wine and the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Wine Marketing Program. She has lived in Austin for more than 30 years and when she is not swirling and sipping wine, she can be found on her bike, climbing every hill she can find.
Follow Denise on IG at @deniseclarkeTX for more wine recommendations.
