Can anybody recommend a nice red wine for beginners?

It is a very personal taste thing but i would say do not go for the really cheap stuff - In UK I usually spend about £7 a bottle unless in Lidl or Aldi where they have reasonable wine for good prices. Theirs tend to be Argentine/Chile wines etc rather than French/Australian but are very nice wines.
We tend to drink a good Bordeaux, Merlot or similar. A good wine does need to be uncorked for about 30-60 mins before drinking - otherwise the flavour is not right.

Cuvee du Roy Rouge, Vin de Pays Cotes de Gascogne £5.76

I get my wine from a local and longstanding wine merchant who delivers free within 40 or so miles of Nottingham if spending more than £45, and free national delivery if spending more than £95. I don't buy expensive wine, and I have never been disappointed. They are the family of the author Geoffrey Trease!

www.weaverswines.com/

try any of the McGuigan reds available in Morrisons and Asda ,around £7 a bottle sometimes less,I used to buy this from a wine club for over £10 a bottle not so long ago and its a lovely fruity smooth wine...I dont like strong tannins .I think you can buy it on Amazon too

Fleurie, the first red wine that I ever really liked, many, many years ago!

Lots of great reds out there, but you have to acquire the taste for it. Just keep trying and don't believe you have to pay the earth. Remember to uncork it about an hour before you intend to drink it and keep it at room temperature.

Suggest Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot for beginners.

I'll second both Fleurie, and the McGuigan range. Also Oxford Landing (luscious!), Wolf Blass red or yellow label, and Yellowtail. If you like French wines, Chinon and Bourgueil from the Loire Valley, but they are a bit heavy on tannin so maybe when you get a taste for reds.....

Blossom Hill Red, Soft and Fruity about £5. Hubbies favourite ??

I am going to make a note of what you have all recommended and work our way through them, we have never 'uncorked' it, so maybe that is part of the problem, will do that next bottle. I have actually ordered a bottle of Oxford Landing Greyduster to be delivered with my shopping tomorrow because that is actually one we have tried once before that we did like. I know red wine is an acquired taste.

I would definitely start with a Merlot and until you are into it avoid the Pinotage and Shiraz which are much heavier, delicious and probably best with dishes such as roasts and stews. Sainsbury and Waitrose do very good 'own brand' wine at a good price so you wont feel you have spent too much if you don't like it. I've trued the Morrisons range and ended up making gravy with it!! Happy drinking - I love red wine!!!

When you say you are 'trying to get into' red wine it almost sounds as if its a chore. It should simply be about what you enjoy!
Any good supermarket own label is a good place to start - and going really cheap is always a waste of money as you will be paying more for the bottle than the wine.
Start with something middle of the road such as a light Merlot and work from there. If you are drinking it with food that can make a huge difference - if its a lighter wine strong flavoured foods can swamp it.

Its not a bad idea to trawl through any of the Supermarket websites for research - Morrisons has a taste test that can help you narrow it down. (I have found many of theirs to my taste). The Waitrose site is also very informative.....just for research of course!

But what grape is that Kim?

You need first to look at the different types of grape, e.g. Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, etc...not necessarily who makes them, and decide which grape you prefer.

Some of these suggestions are GAAT.

Teetime & Hilda obviously know their grapes.

Hmmm.....methinks if you have to try too hard to 'acquire' a taste then perhaps its just not for you. We all have different tastes - anything that we imbibe should be firstly because we really enjoy the flavour.
P.S. I am not a fan of the big name wineries that are often sold by supermarkets at what appear to be bargain prices.....such as £6 reduced from £9 when in fact you rarely see them at that price.

The Torro Loco Tempranillo from Aldi is really very good for the price. (Around £4 ) Very easy to drink and award winning in its price range.

There is an excellent merlot that slips down far to easy from Morrisons called Head Honcho ( it has a cat on the label) and is excellent for £6- £6.50 ish.

I suggest you look for a small, independent wine merchant, say how much you want to spend and ask for advice. If the staff are snooty and make you feel uncomfortable, go elsewhere. We have had some really good advice from our local shop, there are usually samples to try and sometimes guided wine tasting sessions which are fantastic for beginners.

Anything red and alcoholic - I have no taste so am a cheap date I'll get me coat!!

We make a cracking blackberry and elderflower!! Seriously though Aldi do some lovely Spanish reds which my good friend serves.

Apologies, that should read elderberry and blackberry

there are some light Italian reds as well ,Italian is usually a favouite here so ask about those

The Bourgogne region of France makes some very light reds. Perfect for beginners.

Ooh yes, ffinnochio a nice Burgundy pinot noir is lovely, although a bit pricey maybe.
Kim 0612 try the New Zealand Oyster Bay pinot noir, they have it in Waitrose and Tesco. It is light and fruity.
If you're feeling inquisitive and brave, go along to your local Majestic and ask to have a taste from the open bottles they have under the counter. That will give you an idea of different flavours side by side. They also give you interesting and informatve tasting sheets on each
and every wine they sell. Our branch manager delivers ours for free.

Thank you for all of your recommendations, I have made a note and look forward to trying them out

I had never realised there was a training course for red wine drinkers. Probably why I have never liked the stuff. Hope your tasters prove helpful Kim!

New Zealand Pinot noir is nice. A fairly light red.