As a nation, we tend to be, well, a little lazy with our choice of wine. Hands up who hasn't picked up the first bottle of Merlot or Shiraz on the supermarket shelf because it was just easier than sifting through the minefield that is the different grape varieties on offer?

So we thought we'd up our wine game - and our dinner party boasting credentials - by asking expert Jane Parkinson to give us the low down on what new red wines we need to know about, including the "new Pinot Noir" (you heard it here first).

And with the arrival of Autumn heralding the start of cosy nights in with our favourite box sets and comfort food, what better time than to sip on a glass of vin rouge or two?

Read on to find out which ones to add to your shoppping list and what to have them with...

1. Frappato, Italy

What is it? Native to Italy, this grape maxes out on sappy, juicy fruit as a wine, plus lesser-known Italian grapes are very 2015. They’re usually pretty affordable and you can easily pick one up on the high street for less than a tenner.
How to drink it: The tannins are low so you don’t get lots of chewiness and they’re best drunk cool (rather than cold) and preferably with a good pizza.
Where to buy it: Inycon Nero d'Avola/Frapatto, £5.99, Waitrose Cellar

2. Poulsard, Jura, France

What is it? Jura is the tiny French region that has captured wine connoisseurs’ hearts recently, and the red wine made here with the local grape Poulsard is bit like the new Pinot Noir with a lovely softly spicy perfume and sour cherry flavour. You can find them in the £12-£20 range.
How to drink it: It works best with game, red meat and cheese.
Where to buy it: Domaine de la Pinte Arbois de l'Ami Karl, £17.25, Slurp.co.uk

3. English Pinot Noir

What is it? The Pinot Noir grape has always been hugely respected and in England it’s done a brilliant job at elevating the quality of our fizz. Now many producers are making it as a dry red wine as well as a fizzy one. It usually has a wild strawberry flavour and can usually be found £15-£20 a bottle. They’re still pretty rare, but are worth seeking out.
How to drink it: Like the Frappato serve cool rather than cold, colder than room temperature for sure.
Where to buy it: Davenport Diamond Fields Pinot Noir, £12.45, The English Wine Shop

4. ‘Other’ Australian reds

What is it? There’s way more to Australian red wine than the grapes Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon these days. Today it’s making a melting pot of tasty red wines from some of Europe’s local grapes like Tempranillo from Spain, Touriga Nacional from the Douro, Nebbiolo from Italy and Malbec from France. These can vary in price a lot, anywhere from £8 upwards.
How to drink it: With barbecue meat or any richly flavoured meat stew.
Where to buy it: First class Malbec Clare Valley, £6.99, Majestic Wines

5. Blaufränkisch, Austria

What is it? Austria’s native red grape is pronounced blou-fran-kish and it makes a really lovely dark cherry and spice-flavoured wine. It can either be very juicy or richer with more chewy tannins, but at either end of this spectrum it’s delicious, and somewhere in-between too. They’re usually priced somewhere between £10 and £20.
How to drink it: This is perfectly suited to all kinds of meat dishes.
Where to buy it: Mittelburgenland DAC Blaufränkisch classic, £12.49, Austrian Wines Direct

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