If You Like Cabernet Sauvignon Wines, Try These Other Grape Varieties

The King of grapes isn’t just hype — it earns that crown. Full-bodied, bold, and endlessly complex, Cabernet Sauvignon delivers deep flavors, medium acidity, and sky-high structure that make it perfect for aging.

The downside? Quality Cabernet can hit the wallet hard. The good news? There are plenty of Cabernet alternatives that give you similar richness, structure, and flavor without draining your bank account. Perfect for when you want the thrill of a big red without the sticker shock.

Mourvèdre

This under-the-radar grape packs big, rich, meaty flavor. Known as Mataró in Spain and Monastrell in France, it thrives in Jumilla, Spain, and in France’s Rhone and Provence, where it’s a cornerstone of GSM blends (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre).

On its own, Mourvèdre can be a rustic, working-man’s Cabernet with firm tannins, lower acidity, and plenty of punch. But most of the time, it plays supporting role in blends, adding structure, depth, and a meaty backbone. Hunt down a single-varietal bottle from Bandol, France or Alicante, Spain, or grab Cline Cellars’ ancient vine Mourvèdre from Sonoma for a widely available example. Otherwise, Monastrell blends are your best bet.

This blend of Monastrell, Cabernet, and Petit Verdot shows off fresh and powerful black fruit and savory spice notes.

Malbec

Here's another big, inky, and rich wine. It's one of the six Bordeaux varietals, and compared to Mourvedre, it's much easier to find as a single varietal wine. Despite having roots in France, it owes much of its popularity to Argentina, specifically Mendoza, where plenty of great examples hit the market under $20. Malbec is a warm-weather grape that produces a dense, ripe wine with moderate tannins and concentrated red fruit flavors. On the palate, it shows off a truly unique candied plum flavor that makes it fairly easy to identify.

Red Schooner is a Malbec made by Caymus that shows extraordinary power and gobs of lush red fruit.

Tempranillo

If you’re hunting for big flavor without breaking the bank, this underrated grape is tough to beat. Spain’s Ribera del Duero pumps out some standout bottles, and you’ll also find single-varietal gems from Portugal, South Africa, Washington, and California.

Ribera del Duero shows plenty of Bordeaux influence — think new French oak aging alongside the traditional large vats. Compared to Cabernet, Tempranillo is less aromatic, but it delivers juicy red and purple fruit like raspberry, plum, and strawberry. It’s fruity, approachable, and layered enough to impress even the most discerning friends at the table.

We don't see much Tempranillo in California, but this one was just magical, highlighting all sorts of dark, ripe fruit and tons of secondary layers.

Merlot

Yeah, we said it. Merlot comes in a huge range of styles, so you'll need to be picky about which one you choose, but you can find some killer Cab-lover Merlot that has enough depth of fruit, structure, and tannin to make Miles think twice about what's in his glass. Steer away from the sub-$10 Merlot and look for smaller-production bottles. Your best bet is to find one made from hillside grapes, but if you can't figure out where the grapes were sourced from, I'd recommend Markham for a good $20-ish option that's pretty widely available. Honestly, this is probably the safest bet for a Cab substitute if you can find the right one.

This powerful Merlot could fool most people in a blind tasting into thinking it was a $60 Cab.

Still not convinced these suggestions will be in your wheelhouse? Try a Cabernet from Argentina or Chile. Both regions make some fantastic examples that are MUCH cheaper compared to what they'd retail for if produced in California or France.