Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most popular types of wine — it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. If it’s your go-to red wine, you’re not alone. Nothing fills your palate with flavor like a full-bodied, fruit-forward Cab.
Grown in almost every winemaking region across the world, Cabernet can vary depending on the climate, but generally has dark fruit flavors including black cherry, blackberry, and black current and spices of vanilla, pepper, cedar, and clove.
While we love this iconic wine too, there are so many more types of red wine to discover. We put together a list of five alternatives to Cabernet Sauvignon for you to explore. These wines will satisfy your palate and pair well with your favorite Cabernet-loving foods. So, try something new — you might find a new favorite.
Syrah
Love the black fruit flavors and full body of Cabernet Sauvignon? Give Syrah a try. Syrah is native to Southwest France but can also be found in Australia, where it is known as Shiraz.
Syrah, or Shiraz, typically has black fruit flavors of black cherry and blackberry. Much like Cabernet, Syrah can vary in its flavor profile based on the region and climate it’s grown. Its typical powerful flavors pair well with spice-forward dishes such as Greek and Indian cuisine.
If you’re looking for an alternative to your favorite California Cab, Shiraz from Australia is the way to go. Jammy and fruit-driven, Australian Shiraz will give you the same full-body, high tannin, and fruit-forward flavor you’re looking for.
If you are a fan of old-world Cabernet styles, try a French Syrah from Northern Rhone. The bottle with not say Syrah, so look for wines from Côte Rôtie, Hermitage, and Crozes-Hermitage. These wines will have fresh fruit flavors with herb and pepper aromas.
Malbec
If you love full-bodied and bold Cabs, Malbec may be your new favorite. Most well-known Malbecs come from Argentina, but you can find excellent options from France, its native country.
This dark, inky wine has black fruit flavors of plum and blackberry with notes of baking spices and chocolate similar to Cabernet. Malbec tends to be less tannic, or mouth-drying, than Cabernet Sauvignon.
If you’re serving leaner meat, Malbec is a great alternative to your go-to Cab. It won’t overwhelm the dish with its smoother tannins.
Mourvèdre
Grown in southern France, Mourvèdre is also known as Monastrell in Spain and Mataro in Australia.
You’ll sometimes find this grape as a single varietal wine, but more often than not you’ll find Mourvèdre blended with Grenache and Syrah, commonly called GSM. You have probably heard of some of the French blends with Mourvèdre, including Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf-de-Pape.
Mourvèdre on its own has black fruit flavors including blackberry and plum, as well as chocolate, black pepper, and tobacco. It is the perfect complement to rich meat dishes like smoked meats and barbecue.
Tempranillo
Native to Spain, Tempranillo is an excellent substitute for Cabernet Sauvignon. Most commonly associated with the Rioja region of Spain, Tempranillo is a bold red wine with medium to high acidity and tannin. When aged in new oak it takes on similar spice notes to Cab of cedar, vanilla, and tobacco.
Tempranillo can differ in style from bright and fresh to bold and savory depending on where it is grown and how long it is aged. Fruiter, younger styles are labeled Joven or Crianza. For an aged, oaky option, look for bottles labeled Reserva or Gran Reserva.
Zinfandel
Look to California for this Cabernet alternative. Zinfandel is a jammy fruit-driven red wine featuring flavors of raspberry jam, blackberry, plum, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Because it needs a warm climate to ripen, Zinfandel grapes have a higher sugar level when they are picked which creates wines that can have high alcohol by volume and pack a punch.
Different from Cab, Zinfandel generally has medium levels of tannin, so it will not dry out your mouth as much. This also makes it a good pairing to some leaner meats, but not lacking flavor.
If you like Italian wines, look for Primitivo. It is made with Zinfandel grapes and grown in the Puglia region of Italy. This warm southern region produces dry, fruity wines.
