Alternative Reds

The first volume of a new generation of digital wine guides from Jason Wilson, award-winning author of Boozehound, which Anthony Bourdain called “superbly informative, entertaining, and yet deeply subversive.”


Alternative Reds is a 130-page guide to off-the-beaten-path red wines that offer a wine lover — whether a newbie or an experienced connoisseur who’s stuck in a rut — a different path into the world of wine. With over 140 recommendations, you can find modesty, idiosyncrasy, authenticity, and everyday value in these alternative reds, and hopefully they will inspire you to try something new, push beyond the comfort zone of the usual pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, or merlot.


Alternative Reds are not obscure wines. Rather, these are wines that live in the margins of the wine shop. Perhaps they are from a place with a confusing name or geography. Perhaps they are made with a little-known grape. Perhaps they were once popular, or had their moment, but have now ceased to be the flavor of the month. Or maybe they’ve always been overlooked and underrated. These are the wines you can open on a Tuesday night, and little by little, bottle by bottle, they will repay you with enjoyment and knowledge — even if that knowledge is simply what to look for (or avoid!) next time at the wine shop.