Light red wine: the red that doesn't weigh you down
234 light red wines, from €12.50A light red is not a diluted red. It is a wine whose tannins stay in the background, where fresh red fruit comes before structure, and which can be served at around 14 °C without falling flat. It goes with what powerful reds overwhelm: poultry, a vegetable dish, a pressed cheese.
Pinot Noir provides the largest share, but Gamay, Cinsault and a few mountain grape varieties give the same profile. The origins that appear most often in our range are France, the United States and New Zealand.
Duvernay - Rully Meix de Pellerey Rouge 2024
Black cherry, leather and fine spices: a velvety red Rully, made for the table.
Domaine Vaudoisey - Volnay Rouge 2022
The finesse of Volnay in Pinot Noir: strawberry, raspberry, silky tannins and a long finish.
Domaine du Four Bassot - Rully En Varot Rouge 2022
Red Rully, supple and spicy, an introduction to the Côte Chalonnaise.
Cave des Amandiers - Humagne Rouge 2022
A rare grape variety from the Valais, black berries, leather and damp earth, a frankly wild red.
Alain Guyard - Marsannay Les Genelières Rouge 2018
Cave des Amandiers - Cornalin 2020
Cherry, raspberry and violet: the suppleness of Cornalin on a high-altitude terroir.
Francis Ford Coppola - Diamond Appellation Series Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 2021
Shaw & Smith - Pinot Noir 2022
A fine, elegant and intense Pinot Noir
Pete's Pure - Pinot Noir 2021
Cherry, raspberry and strawberry: a light Pinot Noir whose freshness makes it very easy to drink.
William Downie - Cathedral Pinot Noir 2022
This Pinot reveals pure fruit, silky tannins and remarkable balance.
Matías Riccitelli - Old Vine From Patagonia Pinot Noir 2024
Old, ungrafted Pinot Noir vines planted in the heart of Patagonia
Tolpuddle - Pinot Noir 2022
A masterfully crafted Pinot Noir, combining aromatic intensity, refinement, and remarkable depth.
Patz & Hall - Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2017
A Pinot Noir that embodies the finesse and complexity of the Sonoma Coast
Greywacke - Pinot Noir 2022
A Pinot Noir that embodies the elegance and complexity of the Marlborough terroir
Baettig - Los Parientes Pinot Noir 2023
A Pinot Noir from one of the southernmost regions of Chile
Gérard Dorsaz - Cornalin 2022
An exceptional Valais red wine, heir to the Alpine terroir
Tabalí - Talinay Pinot Noir 2021
A pure and mineral expression of Pinot Noir, planted on the coastal part of Chile
Tetramythos - Laurier Noir nature 2023
A deep and balanced red wine
Tabalí - Talinay Pai Pinot Noir 2020
A Pinot Noir combining Burgundian finesse with the unique minerality of Limarí's terroirs
William Downie - Gippsland Pinot Noir 2022
An intense and vibrant Pinot Noir, rooted in the cool, volcanic soils of Gippsland
Pierre Elie Carron - Cornalin Pietra Plata 2022
A Cornalin with a mineral and distinguished profile from the Valais terroir
Fuerza Natural - Cinsault 2021
A fresh and vibrant Cinsault, from century-old vines in southern Chile
Gonzalo Guzmán - Cinsault Oriundo de Itata 2023
A juicy and vibrant Cinsault, reflecting the terroir of Itata
Grape varieties that produce a light red wine
The single word “light” covers very different wines. This table separates what comes from the grape variety from what comes from the climate.
| Grape variety | What he gives | Where can it be found in our country | The dish that goes with it | In our country, starting from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinot Noir The most represented in the range | Cherry, raspberry, undergrowth. Silky tannins, lively acidity. | Burgundy, Oregon, New Zealand, Patagonia | Roast poultry, grilled salmon, mushrooms | €13.80Santa Rita Secret Reserve |
| Gamay | Banana, crushed strawberry, almost no tannin. | Beaujolais, Loire, Switzerland | Charcuterie, raclette, picnic | €16.50 |
| Cinsault | Redcurrant, peony, a very fine weave. | South Africa, Languedoc, Chile | Grilled vegetables, tagine, mildly spicy cuisine | €12.50Matetic The Old Man of the Valley |
| Schiava, trousseau, poulsard | Alpine reds: pale, saline, almost translucent. | South Tyrol, Jura, Savoy | Mountain cheeses, deli meats |
A red wine can also be lighter due to the climate rather than the grape variety: a high-altitude Syrah remains finer than a Syrah from the plains. See full-bodied reds for the opposite.
Three bottles to enter the profile
The charts give the theory. Here are three bottles available today, at three price points.
The admission fee
A Chilean Cinsault crafted by a French winemaker. Redcurrant, white pepper, no gripping tannins.
Matetic El Viejo del Valle · €12.50Pinot Noir on a budget
Santa Rita Secret Reserve, Leyda Valley. Black cherry, a hint of smoke.
Santa Rita Secret Reserve Pinot Noir · €13.80Step up a notch
Patagonia, high-altitude vineyards, winemaking without artifice. The Argentinian Pinot Noir that put Chacra on the map.
Malma Chacra la Papay · €16.50
Light doesn't mean small
Lightness is often confused with a lack of substance. A great Burgundy Pinot Noir costs more than a powerful Cabernet and weighs half as much on the palate: finesse is the hardest thing to achieve. What a light red seeks is fruit precision and length without the weight.
It's also the most versatile profile at the table. Where a tannic red demands red meat, a light red goes from fatty fish to cheese without ever dominating.
How do you choose
We automatically discard light red wines, those that are pale because the harvest was poor. The key indicator is the finish: if it is short and dry, it's a thin wine. If it remains fresh and mouth-watering, it's a fine wine.
The Wine Wanderer Team
What we're being asked about light red
A light red, do you serve it chilled?
Between 13 and 15°C, yes. Twenty minutes in the refrigerator before serving is enough. Served at 20°C, the alcohol takes over and the fruit disappears.
What's the difference between this and a fruity red?
Lightness refers to the structure, fruitiness to the aroma. A wine can be fruity and full-bodied, like a Primitivo. A light red wine has few tannins, regardless of its fruit. See fruity red wines.
Does it keep?
Great Pinot Noirs age very well, for ten years or more. Entry-level Gamays and Cinsaults should be drunk within three years, that's when they're at their best.
What to serve with a vegetarian dish?
This is the best profile for this: low tannins, no conflict with vegetables. Our vegetarian pairing guide details difficult cases, such as artichoke and asparagus.
Why so little Gamay in the selection?
We source from independent winemakers around the world, and Gamay is still predominantly French. Cinsault and Pinot Noir meet the same need with greater diversity of origins.