Yvonne Lorkin: Try Salento and Portugal red wines (+sips for the week)

Yvonne Lorkin reviews her choice wines for the week.

There's a place in Italy called Salento. It's in the Puglia Peninsula region of southern Italy, the bit that looks like the heel of a boot, and it's exceptionally good for growing a red grape for which I'm fast becoming a serious fan.

That grape is negroamaro, and while it's been around for eons, thanks to a bunch of canny importers we're now seeing more and more affordable, good quality examples on our shores.

It's a robust, ribsticking, rumpty red that has a warming, spicy, almost medicinal character - weighty, savoury and capable of producing some powerful, wines. No wonder we love it over here. It's a sensational barbecue wine because most examples will have a degree of smoky, meaty complexity. Puglia also grows great primitivo, a red grape also known as zinfandel, and the two are perfect partners in the bottle.

Another delicious wine I tried this week hails from Portugal.

It's a Touriga Nacional, which I really hope people leap out of their seats to buy because it's just lovely.

More often we hear of this grape being made into port but, believe me, as a dry red it has real interest from the first sip. Think cedar, pepper, plum and violets, bold, chewy tannins (they're the things that make the inside of your mouth feel furry when you drink a red), loads of blackberries and lashings of spice. So while it's all very nice trucking along with good old merlot, cabernet and pinot, why not go out and get your hands on something different this week.

Try one of these: Luna Argenta Appassimento Negroamaro Primitivo 2013, $24; Cantine Menhir 'Il Mardorlo' Negroamaro 2014, $16.95; Falua Terciua Touriga Nacional 2011, $22.

Tasty and low cost wine options

Looking for a robust, ribsticking red that'll clear the nose, soothe the throat and warm the cockles? Then any of these sensational-value-for-money examples will do the trick.

Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2014, $19

Super-glossy and garnet-black in the glass, this seriously-overdelivering wine has racked up an impressive pedigree of awards at major wine shows. I love the aroma of soy, blackcurrant leaf, dried herbs and carob, black plum, biscuit oak and a backbone of strong, supple tannins. Delicious. glengarrywines.co.nz

Vidal Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, $19

Gold medals are already swinging off this wine crafted by talented Hugh Crichton. A blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and cabernet franc, it hits that sweet spot between muscular, meaty, dark complexity and up-front, approachable berryfruit, spices, cocoa and leather characters on the finish. vidal.co.nz

Villa Maria Cellar Selection Gimblett Gravels Grenache 2014, $24

Grenache is super-rare in this country, and Villa Maria have just one hectare of vines in NZ's most prestigious red wine region. It's the only NZ grenache not blended with other varieties. The wine has aromas of pepper, anise, clove, cinnamon and cherry-berry that blend into toothsome, grippy textures. Nice. villamaria.co.nz