BEST ALTERNATE REDS OF 2025

The most exciting red wines of 2025 are not Shiraz or Cabernet. They are the varieties that most wine drinkers have never heard of — and that is precisely what makes them so compelling. Our Best Alternate Reds of 2025 is a definitive edit of the finest alternative variety reds available right now: Nero d'Avola from McLaren Vale, Xinomavro from northern Greece, Barbera and Nebbiolo from the Canberra District, Tempranillo and Malbec from the Swan Valley, Mataro from the Barossa. These are wines made by producers who chose the road less travelled, grown from varieties with centuries of history behind them and a rapidly growing following among those who have discovered them. If you are ready to look beyond the mainstream, this is where to start.