Starter RED wines

[hotwine]

Suggest you look into the wines of Georges Duboeuf. His Beaujolais Villages Flower Label could be considered a "starter red"; for other beaujolais notes, see the postings under that heading. He also makes a cabernet sauvignon that is very reasonable, and unpretentious. And, as a break from your normal chardonnay, try his - it's very pleasant on a warm spring afternoon, with an absence of oak. His wines are all very reasonably priced, readily available (usually), and they are the genuine article - in this case, French!