9 Light red wines for summer and early fall

If you prefer light red wines, there are plenty of lighter-bodied reds that are perfect for drinking when it’s hot out and a heavier wine just won’t do. The best summer and early fall reds are both low in tannins and have good acidity. This means you can pair them with a variety of foods – you can also serve many of them lightly chilled.

Pinot Noir is a lighter red at the height of its popularity these days. It originally comes from France but today they make this wine in California, Oregon, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and even Germany. A glass of Pinot will give you delicious and tart cherry fruit, light earthy tones and great acidity in the finish. 

The Gamay grape, also from France, is another light-bodied red. It’s used to make Beaujolais which is famous for its easy drinking appeal. All Beaujolais wines are 100% Gamay but you’ll find different quality levels depending on if you get an AOC, a Beaujolais Villages or a Cru wine. 

Zweigelt from Austria is considered to be on the lighter side for red grape varieties. It’s a delicious and fruity wine which goes well with cured meats. 

There’s also a long list of medium to light-bodied reds that pair well with appetizers and late summer, early fall dinner spreads. From a Chinon, to a Dolcetto, Barbera and some up-and-coming Sicilian wines, have a look at the list below and let us know which ones you like best!

*Note, when we say a light wine, we’re not talking about the color of the wine but rather the structure of the wine, including its body, tannin content and alcohol percentage.

Lighter red wines to try this August and September

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is one of the best wines to have if you’re grilling salmon, but you can pair this wine with most summer foods, from grilled chicken breasts and sausages, to salads. Pinot Noir grapes grow best in cooler temperatures where they can get the right balance of sugars and acidity. You’ll find subtle differences depending on where a wine is from. Pinot Noirs from France tend to have more earthy flavors and be lighter in color. A Russian River Pinot Noir from Sonoma will be darker in color and fuller in flavor. Oregon tends to produce light-bodied Pinots that fall somewhere in between. You can also get good value Pinot Noir from New Zealand, Chile, South Africa and Germany. Note, prices can range significantly. A wine from Burgundy can be $1000+, whereas you can pick up a bottle from New Zealand for $15-20.

Gamay

Gamay is the major varietal of the Beaujolais area in France. Gamay is a medium to light-bodied, high acid wine with a delicious and fresh finish. The grape itself is a ruby color with blue tones and it’s known for its beautiful forward fruit, from cherry notes to red berries and even strawberry in some of the Crus. A key point when it comes to wines from Beaujolais is it’s best to avoid large producers who use commercial yeast, which can give the wine bubble gum aromatics. The real beauty of this wine is when it’s sustainably farmed, made from lower yields, and takes advantage of the natural yeasts on the grapes. This helps to bring out more floral notes and minerality so you can really taste the local terroir in what you’re drinking. Gamay based wines range in price from $16-45+.

Dolcetto

This wine almost looks like pressed blueberries in a glass. If you were to judge it by color, you’d surely think it was a full-bodied wine! But don’t be fooled, Dolcetto is a smooth and dry wine that’s medium-bodied, and high acid, which gives it a remarkable freshness. Essentially, it’s an easy-drinking Italian red that’s made to be opened young. In fact, Dolcetto is often referred to as the Beaujolais of Italy! You’ll find black fruits and even licorice in its flavor profile. Dolcetto is one of Italy’s early ripening varieties and is the first red grape to be harvested in the Piedmont region. You can pick a Dolcetto up for between $15 and $25.

Sicilian reds

Sicily is a large island in the south of Italy. It’s one of those regions that was always known for making cheap, bulk wine. Today this is no longer the case and a number of young and up-and-coming winemakers are producing delicious reds (and whites!) using organic and sustainable farming techniques. Sicily has some unique terroir and grape varieties you just won’t find anywhere on the mainland. If you like light-bodied reds, one of the best varieties to try is Frappato. This wine has juicy red fruits and good acidity. You can also look for a Mount Etna Rosso. Its grapes are grown on the slopes and in the foothills of the famous and still active Mount Etna volcano. Expect a wine with complex flavors and aromatics, including cherry, and raspberry notes, alongside wild herbs and spices. Note, Mount Etna Rossos are light to medium in both color and body and almost have the weight of a Piedmont Nebbiolo. Just take care, they can be high in alcohol. These wines start at $25 and can go up to $75+.

Italian Wine Tip: Italian wines can be named after the regions where they’re made or the varieties they’re made from. Mount Etna Rossos are primarily Nerello Mascalese. They can also have some Nerello Cappuccio in the blend but you won’t necessarily see the grape varieties listed on the front label.

Zweigelt

Zweigelt is one of the most planted red varieties in Austria. It’s a cross between Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent, and is a tangy and fruity wine that’s light to medium in body and low in tannins. Zweigelt is a perfect wine for an outdoor barbecue or summer picnic, especially if you serve it lightly chilled. You’ll find it’s delicious and bright with plenty of red fruit in its flavor profile. Most fine wine shops that carry Austrian wines will have some in stock. Expect to pay $25-35 a bottle.

More medium to light-bodied red wines

Not all reds are as intense as a Cabernet Sauvignon. You can find a number of medium-bodied red wines that make great pairings for summer meals.

• Valpolicella. This is a wine from the Verona region that’s usually a blend of the Corvina and Rondinella grapes. Cherry is the predominant flavor and cherries are also the major fruit crop in this part of Italy. Learn more about this wine.
• Chinon. Cabernet Franc is one of the main blending varieties from Bordeaux, especially in the Pomerol and St. Emilion regions. However, it’s also the major red grape of the Loire (and the parent grape of Cabernet Sauvignon). Chinon offers bright raspberry and blackberry fruits, along with briary and spice flavors.
• Barbera. Barbera is an everyday-drinking wine from the Piedmont region and it makes a great wine food pairing with swordfish! Depending on the style this wine is made in, it can be on the lighter side. For example, winemakers like Matteo Ascheri only age Barbera in oak for several months, which gives the wine bright and fresh cherry notes.

5 Things you want in a lighter style red wine

1. Bright fruit. Red wines can have different flavor profiles. You might get more primary fruit or more earthy notes. The best light red wines are full of bright berry and summer fruits like strawberry, raspberry, currant and cherry.
2. A lower alcohol percentage. Lower sugar levels in grapes lead to lower alcohol percentage wines, which is what you want in a summer red. That’s because if a wine warms up, you’ll tend to taste more of the alcohol than the fruit, which is not ideal.
3. Softer tannins. Tannins are what make your mouth pucker when you drink wine. They can give a wine more body and they also allow wines to age for longer. Lighter red wines tend to have softer tannins and this is one of the reasons why you mostly drink light red wines young.
4. Higher acidity. Acidity is what gives a wine that bright and fresh finish and makes it pair well with different summer foods. Acidity is mostly determined by the varieties you use to make a wine. Some grapes are more acidic than others.
5. Lighter body. Body doesn’t change the flavors you taste in a wine, rather it affects their intensity and the mouthfeel of the wine.

Best red wine food pairings for summer and early fall

Light red wines make some of the best accompaniments for charcuterie platters. They help to complement the flavors in spicy, aged meats and can go with different cheeses and condiments. A light red wine will also pair well with stone-baked pizzas, barbecue food, including sausages and burgers, grilled vegetable dishes, and even lighter pastas and summer salads. Don’t be afraid to pair these wines with oilier fish too!

One thing to remember is you may want to serve lighter red wines slightly chilled, especially if it’s hot outside. Some people scoff at the idea of chilled reds but this is to ensure you taste the purity in the fruit.

Which red wines are not considered light?

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are higher in tannins and fuller-bodied. Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas, which are primarily Grenache based but can have Syrah and Mourvèdre in them, will also be fuller in body, as will be a Syrah from the Northern Rhône. Shiraz, which is the Australian name for Syrah, is another medium to full-bodied red that can be somewhat intense, depending on its style. Malbec from Argentina is typically a bigger wine, as is Pinotage from South Africa. Nebbiolo based Barolo and Barbaresco are more complex and you wouldn’t want to drink them young (Nebbiolo d’Alba is also not considered light). Lastly, red Zinfandel is a full-bodied red – not to be confused with White Zinfandel which is a sweet rosé wine. Zinfandel is usually from California, and tends to be fuller in flavor with spicy notes. Many of these are great options for grilled meats but if you like lighter styles, they may not be your favorite.

Wine Tip: How much alcohol a wine has is a result of the sugar levels in the grapes when they’re crushed and the fermentation process begins. A wine’s body is a result of both the variety and the winemaking process itself.

If you like light red wines, why not try a rosé?

Many dry rosés from the south of France are bright and fresh, yet fuller in body and with more texture than a white. Rosés from the Bandol and Tavel regions are particularly worth exploring. Bandol is made with Cinsault and Mourvèdre, and Tavel is primarily Grenache.