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.
Friedrich Becker - Kammerberg Spätburgunder 2018
A great Spätburgunder from limestone terroir, combining finesse, depth and aromatic precision.
Ata Rangi - Mc Crone Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020
A precise and refined Pinot Noir from Martinborough, where the elegance of the fruit meets the depth of the McCrone terroir.
Felton Road - Cornish Point Pinot Noir 2024
A precise and intense Pinot Noir from Central Otago, combining purity of fruit, finesse of tannins and aromatic depth.
Felton Road - Block 3 Pinot Noir 2024
A precise and profound Pinot Noir from Bannockburn, combining aromatic intensity and silky texture.
Felton Road - Block 5 Pinot Noir 2024
A Pinot Noir from Bannockburn that is both precise and profound, which finely expresses the singularity of Block 5.
Felton Road - Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2024
A precise and harmonious Pinot Noir from Bannockburn, where the purity of the fruit meets the elegance of the Central Otago terroir.
Storm - Ignis Pinot Noir 2023
A precise and elegant South African Pinot Noir, carried by the maritime freshness and depth of its terroir in Hemel-en-Aarde.
Felton Road - MacMuir Pinot Noir 2023
A precise and profound Pinot Noir from Central Otago, combining freshness, fine tannins and aromatic intensity.
Felton Road - Calvert Pinot Noir 2024
A precise and elegant Pinot Noir from Central Otago, where the purity of the fruit meets the finesse of the Bannockburn terroir.
Chappaz - Grain Pinot Champ Dury 2023
A precise and silky Valaisan Pinot Noir from the hillsides, which finely expresses the mineral depth of Fully.
Chappaz - Grain Pinot Les Esserts 2023
A precise and profound Valaisan Pinot Noir from the hillsides, where the finesse of the fruit meets the elegance of the terraces of Fully.
Ata Rangi - Pinot Noir 2020
A Pinot Noir that is at once deep, harmonious and complex, representative of its Martinborough terroir.
Kusuda - Pinot Noir 2023
A highly precise Pinot Noir from Martinborough, combining purity of fruit, freshness and fine texture.
Chappaz - Grain Pinot Les Darrhes 2024
A precise and elegant Valaisan Pinot Noir from the hillsides, where the freshness of the mountains meets the depth of the Fully terroir.
Chappaz - La Petite Grange 2023
A juicy and precise Valais red, where alpine freshness meets the lusciousness of the fruit.
Chappaz - Grain Pinot Charrat 2023
A precise and elegant Pinot Noir from the Valais hillsides, where the purity of the fruit meets the mineral energy of Charrat.
Chappaz - Grain Mariage 2023
A Valais red with character, combining the finesse of the Fully hillsides with a deep and harmonious substance.
Blank Canvas - Element Vineyard 2019
A precise and fresh New Zealand red, where the fruit's finesse meets the elegance of a maritime terroir.
Blank Canvas - Escaroth Vineyard 2020
A precise and elegant Marlborough Pinot Noir combining pure fruit, freshness and textural finesse.
Blank Canvas - Anthem Vineyard 2019
A precise and elegant New Zealand red, where the freshness of Marlborough’s climate meets the depth of the Anthem Vineyard terroir.
Blank Canvas - Settlement Vineyard 2020
A precise and elegant Marlborough Pinot Noir, where maritime freshness meets fruit depth.
Escarpment - Kupé Pinot Noir 2022
A deep and elegant Pinot Noir, a true reflection of its terroir.
Seresin Estate - Momo Pinot Noir 2023
A Marlborough Pinot Noir combining precise fruit, freshness and textural finesse.
Seresin Estate - Rachel 2016
A precise and elegant Marlborough Pinot Noir, where the freshness of the oceanic climate meets a silky and profound texture.
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.