Beyond Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and the other major red varieties sits a much broader world of grapes and regional wine traditions.
This collection brings together wines that don't sit neatly within the main red-wine categories, including Malbec, Mencía, Dolcetto, Appassimento styles and other regional varieties and blends.
The common thread isn't flavour or origin, but the opportunity to explore beyond familiar grapes and appellations.
Italian Red Varieties & Styles
Italy is particularly rich in regional red grapes and production traditions.
Dolcetto
Dolcetto is closely associated with Piedmont, where it typically produces dry red wines with dark fruit, moderate acidity and a distinctive savoury edge.
Despite its name, which translates roughly as “little sweet one”, Dolcetto wines are generally dry.
It offers a useful contrast to Piedmont's more tannic Nebbiolo-based wines and is often intended for earlier drinking.
Appassimento
Appassimento refers to a winemaking method rather than a grape variety.
Grapes are partially dried after harvest, concentrating sugars, flavour and other components before fermentation.
The method is particularly associated with northern Italy and can produce wines with greater richness, body and dried-fruit character, although final style depends on grape variety, region and producer.
Mencía
Mencía is a red grape associated particularly with north-western Spain, including Bierzo and parts of Galicia.
It can produce fragrant, medium-bodied wines with red and dark fruit, herbs, spice and fresh acidity.
Australian producers have also begun exploring the variety, giving the collection a useful point of comparison between its Spanish origins and local interpretations.
Malbec
Malbec has historical roots in south-western France but is now most closely associated with Argentina.
In Mendoza, particularly at higher elevations, it can produce deeply coloured wines with dark fruit, violet and spice, ranging from accessible regional bottlings to more structured single-vineyard expressions.
Australia also has a long history with Malbec, both as a blending variety and, in smaller quantities, as a varietal wine.
For a deeper look at the grape, explore our dedicated Malbec collection.
Regional Blends & Less Familiar Reds
Some wines in this collection are defined more by region or blending tradition than by a single grape.
That can include Mediterranean blends, less familiar European varieties and Australian wines made from grapes that sit outside the country's dominant red-wine categories.
For drinkers interested in discovering something beyond established varieties, these wines can provide some of the most interesting departures from familiar regional styles.
Choosing an Alternative Red
Rather than treating “alternative reds” as a single style, it helps to begin with the sort of wine you already enjoy.
For something fresh and fragrant, varieties such as Mencía can be useful territory. Dolcetto offers a dry, savoury Piedmontese red with moderate structure, while Malbec generally moves towards darker fruit and greater body.
Appassimento wines sit apart again, with the drying process often contributing additional richness and concentration.
Shop Other Red Wines at Kent Street Cellars
Explore alternative red varieties and regional styles from Australia, Italy, Spain, Argentina and beyond.
The collection spans approachable current releases alongside limited regional wines and less familiar grape varieties, with delivery Australia-wide and same-day delivery available across eligible Sydney metropolitan areas.
