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Malbec is a bit heavy for most nonred wine drinkers but would be an excellent choice for pairing with a richer meal.
Pinot Noir is arguably the most approachable red as it tends to be lighter and have more fruit notes. Pinot is easy to pair with fish, white meat or pasta. My current favorite is Vista Hills from Oregon (Pinots Noir grapes are grown in a cooler climate and Oregon is getting quite the reputation of producing some very decent wines.) Its under $20 a bottle.
Merlot is the most common red and therefore the most easy to find and drink. I like Les Jamelles, a French Merlot which is pretty inexpensive.
Personally, I love a good old vine Zinfandel. Zinfandels come from CA and generally have a big, jammy sort of taste but they may not be great for a first timer. White Zinfandels are generally a no-no as they tend to lack complexity and are usually fairly poorly made (White Zinfandel is a pink wine, not to be confused with a Rose. Zinfandel is generally a deep red wine.)
I love a good Sauvignon Blanc (which is also a white) and you can't ever go wrong with St. Supery.
My brother-in-law requested the same as the OP in this thread for Thanksgiving. He's not a red drinker, so my wife (who loves Argentina and Texas malbecs) and I steered him to Riunite Lambrusco which he and his GF liked very much, and for another time, Ballatore rosso spumante. Malbec would be a tad too much for neophyte red drinker.
Previous post mentions pinot noir, my favorite red. However, my personal experience with Oregon pinot is tainted... my visit to the Willamette Valley a few years back was unexciting, the pinots being marketed were thin and young. Only a couple stood out, maybe the tasting rooms were showcasing their young wines in deference to their reserves. A lot of tour buses packed with 20-somethings out less for the wine experience than the cheap buzz that weekend as well. For my money I go with Russian River pinots that come from off-the-beaten-path tasting rooms along River Road that still use cable spools for tables and have a slobbering Great Pyrennees that meets you at the door and don't charge. Not the Highway 29 palaces that charge $20 for "the experience".
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