I’m looking for some brands of red wine and though the ideal method would be sampling, that would cost more than I’m willing to spend.
Anybody know some red wines that aren’t that expensive or acidic?
I don’t know red wines to speak of, but Franzia’s Chillable Red (comes in a box) is sweeter than most and definitely not expensive.
Sampling through a wine tasting actually isn’t all that expensive. Where do you live? If you’re in a vineyard-heavy area, try visiting a few. Tastings at a vineyard are usually $5-$10 and you get to not only try their wines, but learn a lot about what kinds you enjoy. For example, I learned that the word “oak” anywhere on a bottle of Chardonnay means I will hate it. Makes trying new ones easier.
Or have some friends come over, each bringing a different bottle of wine, and you’ll get to try several that way. Have them all ask the employees at the wine store for something “not acidic”, and see what everyone brings - you’ll only spend on one bottle but you’ll get to try a bunch.
Most of your red wines from really hot growing regions will have less acid. I’m not sure if its really acidity that’s off-putting to you, perhaps it could be tannins instead, as they produce a very mouth-drying feel, and all red wines have some but some have much, much more tannin than others.
My recommendation? Probably a vintage Beaujolais (you can find really affordable wines from this region from producers like Louis Jadot) as the gamay grape used to make these wines yields a softer, lighter and fruity red wine, usually with characteristic raspberry overtones.
Pernand Vergellesses. Just up the hill from Aloxe-Corton and every bit as good. For a very light red wine, almost a rosé, try a Pinot Noir from the Vosges.
Red wine for what? Steak dinner? Sipping by the fire? Quaffing at Faire? We need more than “cheap and swillable” to go on here. Plus, where is the OP located? I know some great inexpensive California reds, but they aren’t widely available back east or overseas.
Sipping. The goal isn’t to get drunk, it’s mainly about taste. I’m in Canada in a province that has government liquor stores though some alcohol is available in grocery stores.
Then I recommend some Italian reds: Barbera, Nebiollo D’Alba, Chianti Classico, stuff like that.
I’ll second these two for personal favorites, but you might want to watch out with both Barbera and Chianti, if acidity really is troubling for you…both these wines are noted for high acidity.
Now, Nebiollo D’Alba is a fantastic value if you’re looking to try the Nebbiolo grape variety and don’t want to pay absurd Barolo prices (though I do love Barolos dearly).
Really, again, good advice for avoiding acidity in red wines is to try a few from reall hot growing climes, like a Shiraz from Australia, for example. Even many California reds have low acidity in many of the grape varieties including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, etc.
My favorite California wines are red zinfandels from Cline, Ridge and Seghesio, Rhone-style reds from Edmunds St Jean, and the various concoctions from Sean Thackrey like his wine called Pleaides.
Layer Cake Shiraz is pretty tasty.
Does the OP really mean acidic, or tannic? But I will second Aussie Shiraz. delicious wines.
I have no idea. I remember tasting wines recommended by shops assistants that had an acidic taste.
So, besides fruity (sweet?) and acidic (tannic?) what other tastes can a wine have?
Think of it this way:
acids in wine produce a tart sensation (not to be confused with sour) and actually will make you salivate.
tannins in wines (derived from the stems and seeds of the plant) is a compound that produces a drying, puckering sensation in the mouth. Tannins are present in pretty much all wines, but much moreso in reds than whites.
Are there any wine bars that offer wine flights near you? That’s a relatively inexpensive way to try four or five wines; the pours are very small so you’re not getting drunk, you’re just sampling.
Given your location, I’m not sure what to recommend. Since I’m in California, I’m fortunate to have both lots of low-cost red choices, and lots of capable assistance (via wine stores and wine bars) in selecting new wines.
Terra Andina makes great inexpensive Chilean wine. Their carmeniere - purple lable - is awesomeness, and sells for pretty cheap around here (TX, 10 bucks a bottle). Back when I worked at a liquor store, we couldn’t keep that shit in stock, and we probably ordered at least as much or more of it than any other single wine. People would come in, look a little lost in the wine dept:
Me: Can I help you find something?
Customer: Yes, I tried this wine I bought here last time. It was really good, but I don’t remember the …
Me: Did it have a purple label? Little line drawing of mountains?
Customer: YES!!! That’s the one! Please tell me you have more …
Fun fact: it’s sometimes called the “Lost Grape of Bordeaux.” The Chileans essentially kept it safe from phylloxeraby virtue of being thousands of miles and an entire ocean away from the disease.
I’ve also never had a Cote du Rhone I didn’t like. Can be found for fifteen or less a bottle. Oh, and Jam Cellars out of Napa Valley makes an excellent cab. It’s delicious, and very fruity, though I’m sure you couldn’t guess that from the name! 
Ah, yes. Thought of another one, Australian this time: Wrongo Dongo. I’ve never seen it for more than ten bucks, but it does not taste cheap-o. Funny name. Great wine. Here’s one online review, which includes a picture of the label. It’s a good wine to take to a party, IME, since it seems to pair well with whatever and most people generally like it.
Like the OP (I suspect), I don’t like big, tannic reds. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve never tried a malbec I liked. But the ones I listed above work for me!
All the more for the rest of us then! 
I absolutely adore Malbec. Ditto big, muscular Zins. I like wines with some fight in them.
I tend to buy local WA state wines so I don’t know that I’d be helpful. (Dunham Cellars, Tamarack Cellars, etc – both of which have very robust reds. I particularly recommend the Three Legged Red from Dunham, which has stood up to a corned beef and dijon sandwich quite admirably without being too acidic.)
That said, I’d avoid South African wines until your palate is more experienced, since they have complex flavors and often get accused of having a rusty nail/burnt rubber overtone.
I can’t really get into Pinotage for this very reason, although I hear they are doing good things these days with the grape. I’ve had some pretty decent white wines from the Stellenbosch region of SA but nothing recently.
I also want to chime in and say to not miss Argentina’s wines. There’s a producer there in the Mendoza region called Catena that makes absolutely fabulous Malbecs, Cabernets and Chardonnays. Seek them out. They are a little pricier than the mass-produced bottlings but they are well worth it. About $25-30/btl last I checked.
Yes I am biased but Australian reds are very approachable and tend to be made to be drunk now with lots of fruit.
*A lot of people in this country pooh-pooh Australian table wines. This is a pity as many fine Australian wines appeal not only to the Australian palate but also to the cognoscenti of Great Britain.
Old Smokey 1968 has been compared favourably to a Welsh claret, whilst the Australian Wino Society thoroughly recommends a 1970 Coq du Rod Laver, which, believe me, has a kick on it like a mule: eight bottles of this and you're really finished. At the opening of the Sydney Bridge Club, they were fishing them out of the main sewers every half an hour.
Of the sparkling wines, the most famous is Perth Pink. This is a bottle with a message in, and the message is 'beware'. This is not a wine for drinking, this is a wine for laying down and avoiding.
Another good fighting wine is Melbourne Old-and-Yellow, which is particularly heavy and should be used only for hand-to-hand combat.
Real emetic fans will also go for a Hobart Muddy, and a prize winning Cuivre Reserve Château Bottled Nuit San Wogga Wogga, which has a bouquet like an aborigine's armpit.*