Lighter-bodied red wines styles to try

Not all red wines are the same and sometimes, we don’t necessarily want a massive, blockbusting fruit bomb. Here are some lesser known grape varieties and wine styles to look out for if you want something with a little more tartness, crunch and tang. All these wines do well when slightly under room temperature. Perfect for lunch and cold cuts!

Cabernet Franc

Country / Region: Saumur, Loire Valley, France

Try: Domaine des Ormes, Saumur, 2017. £8 from Co-op

The Loire Valley is the spiritual home of the Cabernet Franc grape and here, it is light-medium bodied with leafy, crunchy redcurrant and cherry notes and a characteristic whiff of graphite. Yes, this wine smells of pencil shavings! In a good way. Look out for the world ‘Saumur’ on the label as this is one of the key Loire appellations (sub-regions) that is famous for Cab Franc. Also look for Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil AOC, which is often a little more concentrated and fruity.

Cinsault

Country: France & South Africa

Try: Tesco finest* Cinsault, W.O.Western Cape, 2020. £7.50 from Tesco

Cinsault is a grape that most famously perhaps comes from the South of France where it is blended to soften its often astringent tannins and temper its herbaceous notes. You’ll find it as part of the blends in Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon particularly. Out in South Africa, we are seeing it more as a single varietal where it feels a little softer with tangy cherry notes, dried herb and a hint of smoke. Fun fact: South AFrica’s signature grape variety Pintage is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Cinsault used to be called ‘Hermitage’ hence Pino-tage!

Mencía

Country / Region: Bierzo, Spain

Try: Viento de Invierno, Mencía, Bierzo, Spain. £8.25 from Co-op

Mencía is a grape the professional winos go mad for as it’s a brilliant food wine and a little bit different. Lithe and nicely tart, it’s particularly aromatic with notes of morello cherry, raspberry and liquorice spice. It’s a great one to age. If you like Beaujolais Cru wines or Pinot Noir, you’ll love this.

Thursday Club with talk RADIO: Crémant

Today’s Thursday Club is all about Crémant: the French fizz made in the same way (the traditional method) as Champagne, but from other regions in France, using their local grape varieties. You can get Crémant from many regions around France, the most famous being Crémant de Bourgogne (Burgundy) Crémant de Loire, Crémant de Bordeaux, Crémant de Limoux and Crémant d’Alsace. 

Only French wines can be called Crémants and they offer fantastic value, considering they are made in the same time consuming method as Champagne, where wine needs to be aged on the lees (dead yeast cells) albeit for a shorter amount of time. Lees is what gives fizz its biscuity, brioche notes. 

Today, we’re looking at Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Calvet Crémant de Bordeaux, Brut NV

Fizz from the world’s most famous wine region has existed for centuries but it was only officially recognised as a style in 1990. They are often more aromatic and fruity than Champagne thanks partly to the grape varieties used and less time on lees. 

Grape varieties: Sémillon and Cabernet Franc

£10 from Tesco

Calvet Crémant de Bordeaux, Brut Rosé NV

This rosé is made with the famous red grapes of Bordeaux, so offers a structured, savoury pink style that’s ideal for food like cold cuts. Cracking value and on offer at the moment. 

Grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot

Find it for £10.39 from Ocado (down from £12.99)

Crémant de Bourgogne, Blanc de Blancs, Brut NV

The famous white grape of France’s Burgundy region (Bourgogne in French) is Chardonnay and in this case, ‘blanc de blanc’ means 100% Chardonnay, though other local grapes such as Gamay and Pinot Noir can be used. While Chardonnay is also the grape used in Champagne, the region of Burgundy is a bit warmer and so Crémant de Bourgogne is often a bit rounder with more fruit. Very easy going. 

Grape variety: Chardonnay

Find it for £10.49 Waitrosecellar on offer (down from £13)

Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé, Simonnet-Febvre, NV

The red wines of Burgundy are famously made with Pinot Noir and this Crémant is made purely with this grape. Pinot Noir is also one of the main grapes of Champagne but from here in Burgundy, the pinks are much more fruity with notes of cherry and spice. 

Grape Variety: 100% Pinot Noir

Find it for £15.75 from Vinatis

See what else we have tasted on the Thursday club here, here and here!

The Best Red Wines To Have Chilled

Some red wines are perfect for chilling in this warmer weather. It’s certainly true that some wine grapes and wine styles work better than others when it comes to what goes in the fridge, so here’s what you need to know:

Tips for drinking chilled red wine

• Chilled, not cold. No red wine will sing when it is too cold, so really, you want about 45 mins max in the fridge. Avoid ice cubes in your glass too. 

• Avoid heavy, dry tannic wines and oaky wines.

• Fruity styles of wine work best.

Some grape varieties are naturally more fruity and less tannic than others, so get to know them and the styles of wine they make. Here are some to look out for: 

Pinot Noir 

A Pinot Noir (the grape) from just about anywhere will be a good shout for a chilled red wine thanks to its high acidity and thin skin that gives very little tooth-drying tannin. The lightest styles tend to come from the Burgundy region (aka Bourgogne) and the likes of Germany, where it's also known as Spätburgunder. Richer styles will come from warmer climates such as Casablanca Valley in Chile or Sonoma in California. Try these:

Bargain: Irresistible Casablanca Valley Pinot Noir, Chile, 2019, £8 from CO-OP
Juicy, concentrated blackcurrant and plum spice with a cool, raspberry leaf tang.

Splash out: Bernard Moreau, Bourgogne, 2019, £18.
A brilliant, entry level red Burgundy with ripe strawberry, crunchy red berry fruits and a touch of spice and earthiness. 

Gamay

The Gamay grape is not that well known, though you will have certainly heard of the French wine region that specialises in wines made with it: Beaujolais. Gamay is even thinner skinned than Pinot Noir and can make some very fruity, juicy wines that can taste of bananas and strawberry bubblegum. If you want something a little more serious however, you can move up the Beaujolais quality ladder from Beaujolais Nouveau at the bottom, up to Beaujolais, then Beaujolais-Villages and finally, the top of the tree, one of the 10 Beaujolais ‘Cru’ villages. These ‘Cru’ are a little more savoury and serious - more akin to a Burgundian Pinot Noir, but a touch lighter and more raspberry-scented and leafy. They each have their own subtle differences and offer excellent value for money. From North to South, look for these ‘Cru’ names: Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly. Try these:

Bargain: Chiroubles Beaujolais Cru 2018, £10 from CO-OP.
Lovely, crunchy wine with raspberry compote spice and a subtle hint of grilled meat. 

Splash-out: Fleurie Clos Vernay Domaine Lafarge Vial 2014, £33
The most floral and perfumed of the Crus, this Fleurie boast violets, rose and raspberry notes. A little more grippy than some Fleuries, the extra age on this wine has softened it just enough to make it work well when chilled.

Cabernet Franc

This is a grape that is coming back into fashion with a bang. In its Old World Home in the Loire Valley, France, it makes crunchy, light reds with notes of redcurrant and, I kid you not, pencil shavings! This Loire style tends to be better for chilling than its New World versions, (which pack a lot more power and tannin), though they can be a bit austere for some. Some appellations in the Loire are famous for Cabernet Franc, so look for those on the label as the grape may not appear: Saumur-Champigny, Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. Cabernet Franc is also a fixture in Bordeaux, but you will rarely see it as anything other than a relatively small part of the blend. Try these:

Bargain: Chinon, Lulu Lalouette, 2019, £12.99 (£9.99 mix six price) from Majestic.
Of a style, but if you know what you’re getting with Loire Cabernet Franc, you will enjoy this for its fragrant, smoky notes and dried redcurrant palate. 

Splash-out: St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Les Graviers Domaine du Bourg 2018, £17.25 from Corneyandbarrow.com
A touch fuller in body than the Chinon with riper, red fruit, this is a classy, old school, French red with smoky, graphite notes. Delicious.

Sparkling Shiraz

You cannot think about chilled reds and barbecues without thinking of sparkling Shiraz. This is a style of wine that tends to come from Australia only and it works so well thanks to the richer, fruitier styles of Shiraz that come from here. They are full-bodied without being too tannic and full of jammy, spicy plum fruit and liquorice notes. This is the wine you should reach for when pairing with flavoursome, grilled steaks and beef burger etc. as it has a little grippiness. Try this:

Majella, Sparkling Shiraz, £28.50 from Vivino
Lush, velvety and chocolatey, this wine is like a bar of fruit and nut in liquid form. Beautiful balance and not too sweet,  it's serious as well as quirky. Definitely the best we’ve tasted. 

Red Lambrusco

No, don’t turn away! This is not the Lambrusco you are thinking of that harks back to the sweet and syrupy wines of the early Spice Girls days. Lambrusco is a lot more serious now - and a lot drier. Seek out an artisanal red one for a lighter-bodied, frothy vino with moreish, yeasty notes that’s an epic match with Italian cold cuts, buffalo mozzarella and the like. Try this:

Vecchio Moro Lambrusco, Grasparossa, Rinaldini. £12.50 from The Wine Society
Deep purple and packed with ripe fruit flavours and dried herb notes, this has an intriguing breadiness and tastes drier than it smells. A lovely frothy fizz really refreshes the palate. An excellent lunchtime red for summer. 

For more mouth-wateringly good wine content, including our one-minute wine guides to the different grape varieties out there follow this link!