Malbec is often described as having a taste somewhere between Cabernet Sauvignon and merlot. It’s not as soft and fruity as merlot, but it’s not as deep and tannic as Cabernet. Malbec also has nice spicy flavors. If you like medium-bodied wine, you might like blended wines. Different grapes are added to the blend to make the finished product more balanced. You might like red Bordeaux- it’s made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and/ or Cabernet Franc. The only thing is, it’s hard to figure out French wines because they’re labeled by the region and vineyard. It’s hard to know what the wine is like before you buy it, unless you do a lot of research or ask someone knowledgeable about the wine.
I also like Australian blended wines. Shiraz has a deeper flavor than Malbec and is also a little spicy or peppery tasting. Most Australian red wines seem to be blends, so you’ll often see labels with things like “Cabernet Merlot” or “Shiraz Cabernet.” If a grape is listed first, it means the wine is mostly made of that grape. Australian wine is pretty easy to figure out. Most wines are made of grapes from only a small region, because regional differences in the soil and climate are supposed to make a difference in the characteristics of the finished wine. On the other hand, Australian winemakers often take grapes from a large region, choose the best ones, and blend them together. Anyway, Shiraz is great. In Australia and the new world, it’s called Shiraz; in France and sometimes South Africa, it’s known as Syrah. Same grape.
If you like fruit, you might also like Zinfandel. Most of the ones you’ll find will be from California. Not white Zindandel, I mean the red one. It has a medium body and tastes like cherries, plums, and blackberries.