Easy drinking red wines with bright fruit aromas and low tannins. The wines are often released without much aging in tank, oak barrels or bottle, and are meant to be drunk early.

Wine-Searcher editorial

Last updated 22-Mar-2024

Red - Light and Perfumed

The style can be enjoyed without food. The wines might also be served cooler than other reds. Beaujolais and Beaujolais Village wines probably typify this style. However, many grape varieties could be used, if grapes ripen moderately, fermentation/maceration techniques do not emphasize tannin and color extraction, and new oak barrels are avoided.

Characteristics

• Red fruit aromas: strawberry, raspberry, cherry
• Bubblegum aromas (if made using carbonic maceration)
• Moderate tannins and alcohol – though given the wine is light bodied, these might be noticeable

Key examples

• Beaujolais (the top examples are towards medium-bodied)
• The various Novello wines from Italy, made for prompt release and consumption in a similar way to Beaujolais Nouveau
• Lighter examples of Pinot Noir, including Bourgogne Rouge, and examples from Germany, Switzerland and cooler parts of California
• Portugieser reds from Austria, Germany, Slovenia and other countries in Central Europe

Food pairing with light red wines

In very broad terms, pairing light red wine with lighter foods and gentler flavors can work well. Light red wines can often take the place of whites in food pairing, and can work with less delicate fish and seafood dishes. A Beaujolais, for example, can work very well with gamey fish such as pike and zander, and a host of salmon recipes.

Light red wines are also an option with some very strong flavors dishes, such as some curries. This is because they "fight" less than would be the case with a red wine which is high in tannin and/or alcohol. Similarly a light juicy red can be a refreshing counterpoint for chargrilled food. This ability to "get out of the way" of the food can make a light red a good option for buffets, sharing platters (charcuterie etc.) and other multi-dish meals.