Well, yes, reds to drink at cooler temperatures are a valid thing and here's why.

Reds can taste more refreshing when they have lower levels of tannin, which is what happens when grapes are not overly extracted and given less time on their skins - the source of both colour and tannin. This is why Beaujolais, which is made from the low tannin Gamay grape, tastes so good when lightly chilled. 

Refreshing reds to drink chilled on special this month

2021 Swift Gamay Hawke's Bay (RRP $35.99) Special $32.99

Buy here

2019 Il Fatalone Primitivo Teres Puglia (RRP $31.99) Special $28.99

Buy here

2020 Foradori Lezer Teroldago (RRP $36.99) Special $33.99

Buy here

2021 Black Estate Treble Rosé (RRP $28.99) Special $26.99

Buy here

2020 On Giant’s Shoulders Pinot Nouveau (RRP $28.99) Special $26.99

Buy here

2021 Huntress Kuratea Pinot Noir (RRP $32.99) Special $29.99

Buy here

2021 Seresin Zosia Rose Marlborough (RRP $25.99) Special $23.99

Buy here

2019 Prophet’s Rock Infusion (RRP $34.99) Special $31.99

Buy here

2019 Chermette Beaujolais Les Griottes (RRP $28.99) Special $26.99

Buy here

2021 Organised Chaos Gamay Noir (RRP $29.99) Special $27.99

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2021 Johner Estate Rosé (RRP $24.99) Special $22.99

Buy here

Pop instore or online to explore and buy these stunners: https://www.regionalwines.co.nz/

Here is a round up of staff favourites when it comes to light reds. These wines all highlight delicious quality, distinctive style and prices that don't break the bank.

Il Fatalone Primitivo Teres

An alternative light red made from organically grown Primitivo grown from southern Italy's Gioia del Colle territory in the locality of Spinomarino. This wine was fermented at cool temperatures with wild yeasts in stainless steel, which provides it with both fruity appeal and a savoury edge. It's all about red fruit and floral aromas with a soft smooth finish. Totally new wave style of Primitivo from an eight hectare rocky hillside vineyard at 365 metres above sea level.

Buy Il Fatalone Primitivo Teres here

Easthope Gamay

Winemakers Rod and Emma Easthope make one of New Zealand's few Gamays from the Two Terraces Vineyards in Maraekakaho, Hawke's Bay. It's a vineyard owned by Ian Quinn, a fellow lover of the velvet smooth reds that the Gamay grape is capable of making. 

This lovely wine is made from hand picked grapes, which were whole bunch fermented, foot stomped and aged in a combination of old oak puncheons and stone eggs.

This wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered and unsulphured.

Buy Easthope Gamay here

Kuratea

This is the name of this lively new youthful Pinot Noir and is also the Maori word for light red, which captures the aim of winemaker Jannine Rickards.

This wine builds on her previous Waikura Rosé, morphing into a lighter bodied red wine with structure and flavour interest but freshness that suits being served as a lightly chilled wine. So refreshing and deliciously different as an alternative to a bright new white wine. 

It's made from grapes grown in Martinborough and Gladstone in the Wairarapa. Partial whole cluster fermentation at cool temperatures provides pronounced summer berry flavour notes of raspberry and cherries with a dried herb taste on the finish. 

It was bottled with a minimal addition of sulphur dioxide of 30ppm.

Buy Kuratea here

Prophet's Rock Infusion

This is another excellent example of a dry but deeply coloured rosé or, more accurately, a light red. 

It's made 100% from Pinot Noir, as is to be expected for a pale coloured red wine made from Central Otago. Limited skin contact, a wild ferment and no secondary fermentation has resulted in an intense, red cherry-laced wine with fresh acidity and brightness. 

Buy Prophet's Rock Infusion here

Visit us in store and ask our staff to show you the rosé shelves to a plethora of beautiful different hues of colour and flavours available as lighter bodied but super tasty red wines.