Lighter red wines

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/03/lighter-red-wines-david-williams

Version 0 of 1.

Primarius Oregon Pinot Noir 2011 (£8.99, Tesco)

Received opinion has it that the best barbecue bottles are the hale and hearty reds made in places where barbecues are part of the culture. But while it’s true that an Argentine malbec or an Aussie shiraz really comes into its own when there’s a steak on the grill, they’re not quite so much fun with lighter meats and fish – or, for that matter, in the afternoon, when their alcohol levels bring on a thumping headache. In a summer of many barbecues, my go-to choice has been lighter reds that work best after a half-hour in the fridge, such as this zesty, bright pinot from the USA’s Pacific northwest.

The Co-operative Truly Irresistible Chinon, Loire, France 2012 (£9.99, The Co-operative)

The most refreshingly versatile light-red wines are those made from cabernet franc in the Loire. At their best there’s a sappy freshness and a mix of crunchy just-ripe black fruit and cooling green leafiness to them. Match that to a nibble of tannin that will cope with smoky red meat, sausages and marinated chicken without overwhelming meatier fish, such as salmon or tuna and you have a winner. Two easy to find, ready-to-chill examples include the lipsmacking Domaine de Rosette Chinon 2013 (£8.50, M&S), and Co-op’s brisk and succulent own-label.

Caruso e Minini Perricone Sicily, Italy 2012 (£7.99, Marks & Spencer)

A red wine needn’t be light in alcohol to take well to a chill. As a rule of thumb, if it’s young and unoaked, the fruit will almost always be brighter and more sharply focused after even a few minutes in the fridge. This unusual red, made from the local Sicilian variety perricone, for example, is relatively beefy at 14% abv, compared to the 12% or so of the rest of this week’s wines. But its buoyant mix of darkly plummy and ripe red and black cherry fruit is at its best when the bottle is beaded and the spicy sausages are fresh off the grill.