If you like this, try…
Wines like Negroamaro
Puglia’s savoury, bitter-edged red variety, and the counterweight to Primitivo’s sweetness. Below: what to try next, grouped by the direction you want to travel.
Refine
What do you like about Negroamaro?
Optional — the results below already work without it. But “I like Malbec” is at least four different preferences wearing one name, and saying which one you mean changes the answer substantially. Only qualities this wine actually has are offered.
What these words mean
- The firm, grippy structure
- High tannin — the drying grip on your gums, like over-brewed tea. It gives a red something to hold on to with rich food, and it is what lets a wine age.
- How full and weighty it is
- Body is how much the wine seems to fill your mouth — the difference between skimmed and whole milk. It comes mostly from alcohol and ripeness.
- That it is not oaky
- No barrel character — just the fruit and the acidity. Chablis and Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc are the reference points.
- The savoury, meaty side
- Leather, olive, cured meat, dried herbs, tobacco. It is what people mean by calling a wine "serious" rather than "fruity", and it comes with age as well as with place.
- The earthy, mineral side
- Forest floor, wet stone, mushroom, damp earth. Widely described and much less well explained than wine writing implies — the sensation is real, the causal story usually is not.
- That it is properly dry
- No perceptible sugar at all. Almost all red wine is dry and a good deal of white wine is not, which is why this is a more useful thing to say about a white than about a red.
Looking for something moving away from too heavy, too earthy or musty, too savoury or funky and too plain or too simple.
Based on what you said
Ranked against the qualities you named rather than against the wine as a whole. The directions below are refined the same way.
Barbera
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
- A little less heavy.
- Substantially less earthy or musty.
- A little less savoury or funky.
- Substantially less plain or too simple.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
- About as heavy as the wine you started from.
- Substantially less earthy or musty.
- Substantially less savoury or funky.
- Substantially less plain or too simple.
Egri Bikavér
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
- A little less heavy.
- Substantially less earthy or musty.
- A little less savoury or funky.
- Substantially less plain or too simple.
Barbera d’Alba
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
- About as heavy as the wine you started from.
- Substantially less earthy or musty.
- Substantially less savoury or funky.
- Substantially less plain or too simple.
Dolcetto
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
- Substantially less heavy.
- Substantially less earthy or musty.
- A little less savoury or funky.
- About as plain or too simple as the wine you started from.
Corvina
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
- About as heavy as the wine you started from.
- Substantially less earthy or musty.
- A little less savoury or funky.
- Substantially less plain or too simple.
Bolgheri
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
- More heavy, not less.
- Substantially less earthy or musty.
- Substantially less savoury or funky.
- Substantially less plain or too simple.
Nero d’Avola
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
- About as heavy as the wine you started from.
- Substantially less earthy or musty.
- A little less savoury or funky.
- Substantially less plain or too simple.
Closest overall
Nearest neighbours, no change of direction.
Closest matches
The nearest overall neighbours across structure and flavour, with no deliberate change of direction.
Barbera
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Egri Bikavér
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Barbera d’Alba
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Different grape, similar feel
Deliberately excludes the variety you already know, to find a genuinely new wine that fills the same role.
Barbera
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Egri Bikavér
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Barbera d’Alba
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Change the structure
Same idea, different weight, grip or freshness.
Similar but lighter
Keeps the character but reduces weight, alcohol and density in the mouth.
Dolcetto
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Cerasuolo di Vittoria
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more fruit-driven.
Gamay
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more fruit-driven.
Muscat Bailey A
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more fruit-driven.
Similar but lower in alcohol
Holds the character and the weight where it can, and moves specifically on strength. Note that below about 11% the choices narrow sharply, and below 5% they are mostly a different category rather than a lighter version of the same one.
Cerasuolo di Vittoria
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more fruit-driven.
Valpolicella
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and lighter.
Gamay
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more fruit-driven.
Muscat Bailey A
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more fruit-driven.
Similar but fuller
Keeps the character but adds weight, concentration and mouthfeel.
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon scores closest to Negroamaro across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and stronger and warmer.
Barossa Shiraz
Barossa Shiraz scores closest to Negroamaro across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and stronger and warmer.
Argentine Malbec
Argentine Malbec scores closest to Negroamaro across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Bolgheri
Both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Similar but less tannic
For readers who find firm reds drying. Reduces tannic grip while holding flavour and weight roughly steady.
Barbera d’Alba
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Barbera
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Nero d’Avola
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Similar but more structured
More tannic architecture, for food or for ageing.
Touriga Nacional
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Petit Verdot
Petit Verdot scores closest to Negroamaro across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Toro
Toro scores closest to Negroamaro across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and stronger and warmer.
Petite Sirah
Petite Sirah scores closest to Negroamaro across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and stronger and warmer.
Similar but fresher
Raises acidity and overall lift, usually by moving to a cooler-climate expression.
Barbera
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Barbera d’Alba
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Blaufränkisch
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more restrained in fruit.
Barbera d’Asti
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Similar but softer
Lowers acidity and sharpness in favour of a broader, gentler feel.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and stronger and warmer.
Barossa Shiraz
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and stronger and warmer.
Argentine Malbec
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
The sparkling version
Moves to a sparkling expression while holding the flavour and weight as close as possible.
Sparkling Shiraz
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more fruit-driven.
Lambrusco
Both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more fruit-driven.
Lambrusco Grasparossa
Both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more fruit-driven.
English sparkling rosé
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Similar but sweeter
Adds perceptible sweetness, which also softens acidity and chilli heat.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Sparkling Shiraz
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more fruit-driven.
Touriga Franca
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more fruit-driven.
Corvina
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Change the flavour
Same shape, different aromatic character.
Similar but less oaky
One of the commonest requests in wine. Strips oak influence while holding grape character and weight.
Trousseau
Trousseau scores closest to Negroamaro across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Lambrusco Grasparossa
Both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more fruit-driven.
Fer Servadou
Fer Servadou scores closest to Negroamaro across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more fruit-driven.
Pinot Meunier
Pinot Meunier scores closest to Negroamaro across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more fruit-driven.
Similar but more oaky
Adds barrel character, toast and a creamier texture.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and stronger and warmer.
Barossa Shiraz
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and stronger and warmer.
Bolgheri
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Similar but more aromatic
More to smell before you taste — floral, fruity or spiced aromatics.
Malbec
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Gamay
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more fruit-driven.
Cabernet Sauvignon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Cabernet Franc
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more restrained in fruit.
Similar but more restrained
For readers who find intensely aromatic wines tiring over a whole glass. Keeps the structure, turns the volume down.
Sémillon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and less oaky.
Barbera
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Egri Bikavér
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Similar but more floral
Pushes specifically towards rose, violet, blossom and elderflower character.
Malbec
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Gamay
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more fruit-driven.
Cerasuolo di Vittoria
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and more fruit-driven.
Argentine Cabernet Franc
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Similar but more savoury
Moves away from primary fruit towards earth, herb, meat and umami character.
Naoussa Xinomavro
Naoussa Xinomavro scores closest to Negroamaro across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and earthier.
Xinomavro
Xinomavro scores closest to Negroamaro across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and earthier.
Rioja Gran Reserva
Rioja Gran Reserva scores closest to Negroamaro across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and earthier.
Chianti Classico Riserva
Both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and earthier.
Similar but fruitier
More obvious, generous fruit flavour, usually from a warmer climate.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more fruit-driven.
Barbera d’Alba
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Bolgheri
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Primitivo
curatedIts Puglian neighbour and blending partner.
Expect: Sweeter and jammier, with less bitterness.
Change the mood
Safer, stranger, cheaper or more serious.
A safe next step
Well-known wines that are widely available and unlikely to surprise anyone.
Barbera
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
California Cabernet Sauvignon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Cabernet Sauvignon
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Something more adventurous
Less familiar wines that occupy similar territory — the interesting end of the shelf.
Egri Bikavér
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Barbera d’Alba
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Dolcetto
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Corvina
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
A better-value alternative
Wines that occupy similar sensory territory from regions carrying less price premium. WineHQ does not hold live prices, so this reasons from regional reputation and demand rather than from a price feed — treat it as a lead, not a quote.
Egri Bikavér
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Barbera d’Alba
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
Dolcetto
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Corvina
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and less oaky.
A step up
The benchmark expressions of the same territory, usually with more concentration, structure and ageing potential.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and stronger and warmer.
Ribera del Duero
Ribera del Duero scores closest to Negroamaro across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more savoury.
Priorat
Priorat scores closest to Negroamaro across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and earthier.
Super Tuscan
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and cleaner and more fruit-focused.
Each suggestion is scored across sixteen taste dimensions, weighted so that structure matters more than flavour, and adjusted for whether the wine actually moves in the direction you asked for. Curated links from an editor carry extra weight — but only when the editor tagged them for this direction. Nothing here is a black box; see the taste model for the full method.