Light-bodied red wine

Light-bodied reds are wines that have a lighter, silkier texture or mouthfeel. They tend to be lower in alcohol, with light tannins and plenty of juicy, fresh red fruit flavours.

Wine body is defined by the weight, texture and richness of a wine. In other words, how a wine feels in your mouth. If it sounds a bit hard to pin down, then you’d be right. The body of a wine is less to do with one specific quality and more about the combination of grape variety, alcohol level, tannin and even sweetness level.

In official wine tasting, the “viscosity” of the wine is often talked about – with light-bodied wines being less viscous than full-bodied wines. Viscosity describes the thickness or texture of a liquid, so can be helpful to think about when trying to work out the body of a wine. For example, water is less viscous than milk, which is less viscous than syrup … and so on. Light-bodied wines will have a viscosity closer to water. 

Light-bodied red wines are also generally lower in alcohol (under 12.5% ABV), lower in tannin, with moderate-high acidity. This all contributes to their lighter feel.

The short answer is no. Tannin is the other term that comes up a lot in wine descriptions. It does contribute to the overall texture of a wine but shouldn’t be confused with body. 

The technical bit … Tannins are naturally occurring compounds called polyphenols found in grape skins. More tannins in a wine will give it a noticeable dryness. 

Most light-bodied red wines have low tannins for balance. But there are exceptions – just look at Italy’s Nebbiolo wines!

Learn more about tannins in wine.

The different grapes and regions used in a wine will influence the specific flavours, but generally light-bodied wines are delicate and refreshing, with plenty of red fruit flavour and a zingy acidity.

Typical flavours of light-bodied reds include:

• Cherry
• Raspberry
• Strawberry
• Redcurrants
• Pomegranate
• Floral notes
• Slight earthiness

1.    Look for the alcohol percentage 

Light red wines generally have an alcohol content of less than 12.5 %. Every bottle of wine will have the alcohol percentage per volume (% ABV) listed on the label, so it’s a reliable place to start when trying to find a good light red wine. 

2.    Look for the region 

As a general rule (although it definitely depends on the producer), grapes grown in cooler climates produce lighter bodied wines. So look for reds from northern France, Germany, the mountains of New Zealand and other cooler regions.

When looking for a very good example, there are some regions particularly renowned for their lighter reds that you can choose with confidence. These include: 

Burgundy – Arguably the most famous region for Pinot Noir in the world, Burgundy in France produces stunning, lighter-bodied red wines. Some of the best examples can be left to age in bottle for decades.

Beaujolais – Another French classic, Beaujolais wine is made from Gamay grapes. These reds are perfumed and full of juicy fruit flavour. These wines are often enjoyed young but can also age for up to 10 years.

Martinborough – On the South Island of New Zealand, Martinborough is another land of Pinot Noir. There’s plenty of rain here, but dry autumns create the perfect conditions for producing Pinot Noir wines that range from juicy to earthy. These premium light-bodied wines are well worth seeking out.

Here are five of the most popular light red wine grapes. Looking for a light-bodied wine and see one of these on the wine list? Snap them up.

• Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir sets the benchmark for light red wine. Pinot Noir’s high acidity makes it a great wine for long term ageing, with some of the best bottles offering flavours of cherry and raspberry, plus vanilla and spice. 
• Lambrusco. Lambrusco is one of the lightest red wines on our list. It’s the name of several wine grapes grown in Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy and makes sweet, sparkling, low alcohol wines of the same name.
• Gamay. Gamay is perhaps better known as Beaujolais – the region in France where the grape is largely grown. It’s the ultimate “drink me now” light red wine, with plenty of red fruit flavour and bright acidity. In fact, it’s so immediately enjoyable that Beaujolais Nouveau wine is designed to be enjoyed straight after harvest. 
• Zweigelt. Zweigelt is the most widespread red wine variety in Austria. It produces wines very similar to Pinot Noir with oodles of red cherry, raspberry, black pepper and liquorice flavour. Some winemakers use oak or blend Zweigelt to make the wine more complex. 
• Frappato. This light-bodied Italian red wine is grown mainly in Sicily. It’s similar to Beaujolais, with sweet red berry, pomegranate and spice flavour. w/o Organic Frappato is a delicious berry and cherry-filled example.
• Nebbiolo. Nebbiolo is one of Italy’s most famous grapes, known for Barolo and Barbaresco wines. Unlike the other light reds on this list, it’s a high tannin red wine that you will definitely feel on the insides of your cheeks. Expect intense pepper, rose and redcurrant flavours. 

This list is far from exhaustive. If we had the space we could go on to discuss Mencia (which some people call Spain’s answer to Beaujolais), juicy Grenache and more …

Light-bodied, juicy reds are best served slightly cooler than normal room temperature. Pouring at around 12°C will be sure to bring out the vibrant fruit flavours and can stop the wine tasting too acidic.  

A wine fridge with temperature control is the gold standard of chilling down your bottle, but really any fridge or even an ice bucket will do the trick nicely. Pop them in for up to 45 minutes, then decant before serving to fully open up those flavours.   

In terms of food pairing, light-bodied reds make great aperitifs and an excellent choice for a glass with a meal. But fair warning, those bright red fruits can sometimes get lost when partnered with more powerfully flavoured dishes. We’d recommend choosing something lighter, such as tuna, cheese and paté with crusty baguettes, chicken or turkey.

Learn more in our beginner's guide to food and wine pairing.