Light reds for transition seasons
The Wine Watch Expansion Pack – May 2025
Longer-term subscribers will know that I also write a regular column for DutchNews called Wine Watch. Each month, I pick a seasonal theme and recommend three wines – at different price points – that fit the brief and are available in shops in the Netherlands (although often elsewhere as well). As you’d expect, I taste far more wines than just those that make the final cut, and I also run out of space for food pairings and other info. So consider this your Wine Watch Expansion Pack: more wines, more food, more info!
My theme for May was versatile light reds: wines that could be chilled and taken to a BBQ or served with home-cooked comfort food. A bottle with more heft than a rosé but enough brightness to carry us into the long, light evenings. Because transition seasons are when light reds come into their own.
You can read the original article here, but as usual there were many more wines that didn’t make it into the final piece: not because they’re no good, but because they didn’t fit the price categories or because there would’ve been too much overlap between regions.
So here’s the shortlist I came up with before I made my three eventual recommendations (it’s a case of better-late-then-never this month because much of my time has been taken up by the “Occular Event” – as we’re now calling it – that has befallen my partner in wine, aka husband).
France
In France, lighter reds tend to be made in the cooler, more northerly regions. Look out for peppery, herbaceous Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley, elegant Pinot Noirs from northern Burgundy, and juicy, red-fruited Gamay from Beaujolais and the Savoie.
Fabrice Gasnier “Les Cornuelles” Chinon Rouge, Loire Valley (2021) – “Rustic but refined” is what I wrote down when tasting this wine. Made from old-vine Cabernet Franc (a grape that seems to be having a bit of a moment in wine fashion right now), this Chinon elegantly combines cranberries and cherries with dried herbs and green pepper. This one would work better with food than without, but it would go well with everything from pizza to paella. Available from Bosman Wijnkopers.
Les Demoiselles Tatin La Cuvée du Pé Miniau Reuilly Rouge, Loire Valley (2019) – I tasted this at the Wine Professional event at Amsterdam RAI in January and it was my favourite wine from the Loire workshop. Classic farmyard-esque Pinot Noir with elegant tannins and juicy berries. Available from Wijn op Dronk.
Domaine de l’Idylle Gamay, Savoie (2023) – Wines made from Gamay – and those from the Savoie region of France in particular – are growing on me more and more. This one from Domaine de l’Idylle is bursting with bright red berries, peppery spices and a lithe, youthful body. I’ve written about it before but still love it. Available from Well of Wine.
Yohan Lardy, Moulin a Vent, Beaujolais (2021) – Speaking of Gamay, this is great example of the complexity that the same grape from the Beaujolais Cru villages can take on. Red fruited and spicy with cloves, Sichuan peppercorns and smoke. Available from Best of Wines.
Marmot de la Brande, Bordeaux (2022) – A Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, but bucking the stereotype of heavy-hitting, serious Bordeaux wines. As
says: “Bright and very pure redcurrant and raspberry fruit, young and simple but very tasty. Some floral and earthy hints. Tannins are firm and enjoyably chewy.” Available from Chabrol Wines.Rest of Europe
Again, cooler, northerly wine-producing countries like Germany and Austria offer ideal conditions for producing light reds. But Italy is so diverse that it provides plenty of examples even from regions you wouldn’t expect.
Mehofer Blauer Zweigelt, Wagram, Austria (2021) – Easy drinking, raspberry smoothie with just a hint of spice to pep things up. With high acidity, low tannins and bonus points for being organic, this is perfect picnic wine. Available from Bilderdijk Wijnhuys.
Thomas Hensel Aufwind Spätburgunder, Pfalz, Germany (2022) – Great value, juicy Spätburgunder, bursting with ripe cherries, strawberries and black pepper. Tannins are smooth, and there’s enough structure in the wine to stand up to cheese and BBQ-ed meats. Available from Bovino.
Biscaris Principuzzu Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicily, Italy (2020) – Gorgeous blend of native Sicilian grapes Frappato and Nero d’Avola that went perfectly with pizza. Lighter than you’d expect from a Sicilian red: ripe red fruit, a splash of cocoa and no oak. I tasted this while in Siracusa and have struggled to find a stockist here in the Netherlands, but strangely found some in the US.
Brigaldara Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy (2023) – Pale, cherry-led Valpolicella that reminded me of pink peppercorns in both colour and flavour. Available from Decántalo.
As usual, check wine-searcher.com to support your nearest local wine shops for all of the above!
What to eat with light reds
I would drink many of these reds by themselves, but they’re also extremely versatile when it comes to food. They’ll pair well with anything from tapas on the terrace to tomato-based pizza and pasta dishes. Here’s a visual snapshot of some of the dishes I’ve been pairing with these wines and others like them (leaning heavily Italian because I was in Sicily for the whole of April!).
I’m not sure what you call this but I got the idea from my sister-in-law: take one large wooden board; cover it with some variation on cheese, cold cuts, fruit and rocket; drizzle with balsamic glaze in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Serve to friends who will look highly impressed, even though it took you five minutes.
I love a baked gnocchi dish, especially when travelling – one pack feeds two people without creating a leftover packet of something that you can’t take with you. This is a variation on
’s tomato and mozzarella gnocchi (because I am incapable of following a recipe to the letter).
Arguably Sicily’s signature pasta dish, pasta alla Norma combines silky aubergine, sweet tomato and salty ricotta salata. There are loads of recipes on the internet, but I like Ottolenghi’s recipe from Simple (he uses spaghetti but penne/rigatoni/etc. also work fine).
I tried making pizza myself during the pandemic, and quickly concluded it wasn’t worth the effort with a home oven. This pizza is therefore brought to you by Schiticchio in Siracusa.
Love these choices. I would add a Baga from Bairrada to it- shocking, I know!
Pinot Noir from the Loire, and Gamay from Savoie 😮 Never too old to learn! 💗