Tasting: Dry light wines for the summer

Refreshment for everyone!

20 August, 2023

of Marcus Hofschuster in Tasting 123rf

Summer again at last! Whether white, rosé or red: at temperatures of around 30 degrees, very few people are in the mood for powerhouses from the bottle. Light wines are the order of the day - here are our favourites with low alcohol and lots of flavour.

So we need light wines, and preferably ones that don't force us to lower our sensory expectations.

Time and again, wine lovers are concerned that low-alcohol wines with character and expression are threatened with extinction. But this fear is unfounded. It would only be logical that global warming would lead to ever stronger wines, and in some regions this is indeed the case. Surprisingly, however, the number of excellent, sometimes impressive wines with noticeably low alcohol levels has been increasing for years. More and more producers seem to be adapting to the new conditions and specifically looking for ways to produce lighter yet expressive wines.

As long as you work with natural residual sweetness, this is not a problem at all. But anyone who thinks: "Why don't you just use Kabinett?" is not wrong. But not everyone will want to drink only sweet wine, no matter how stimulating it is. What's more, Kabinett or Spätlese wines are only suitable as food companions to a very limited extent.

We therefore looked for particularly good dry wines with a low alcohol content among the wines we currently rate: for whites, rosés and sparkling wines up to a maximum of 11.5% alcohol, and for reds up to 12% alcohol. And we were amazed at how many there are! The selection of whites in particular is so large that everyone is guaranteed to find a favourite here. We have already found our favourites: You can recognise them by our favourite wine heart.

Now we just need summer to show its face again...

Tasting: Dry light wines for the summer Dry white wine

Weingut Emrich-Schönleber — Nahe 2022 Monzingen Riesling VDP.Ortswein trocken "Frühtau" 91 WP excellent 20.00 €

Weingut Baron Knyphausen — 2021 Riesling VDP.Gutswein "Charta" 90 WP excellent 13.50 €

Weingut Ziereisen — Baden 2020 Roter Gutedel Landwein "Jaspis Unterirdisch" 89 WP very good 26.50 €

Weingut Ziereisen — Baden 2020 Gutedel Landwein "Steinkrügle" 89 WP very good 22.60 €

Tomislav Markovic — Rheinhessen 2021 Siefersheim Heerkretz Sauvignon Blanc 89 WP very good 36.50 €

Weingut Ziereisen — Baden 2020 Landwein "Viviser" 88 WP very good 14.60 €

Weingut Bollig² — Mosel 2021 Trittenheim Apotheke Riesling Grosses Gewächs 88 WP very good 13.70 €

Weingut Bollig² — Mosel 2021 Dhron Hofberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs trocken 88 WP very good 13.70 €

Weingut Fritz Ekkehard Huff — Rheinhessen 2022 Nierstein Riesling trocken "vom Rotliegenden" 88 WP very good 12.00 €

Weingut Stigler — Baden 2021 Ihringen Winklerberg Grauburgunder VDP.Erste Lage trocken 88 WP very good 17.60 €

Weingut Cantzheim — Mosel 2022 Riesling Große Lage "der Fuchs" 88 WP very good 29.00 €

Weingut Georg Breuer — 2022 Rauenthal Riesling "Estate" 88 WP very good 19.50 €

Weingut Wechsler — Rhine/Rhein 2022 Scheurebe Landwein "FeHLfaRBe" 88 WP very good 17.50 €

Weingut Claus Schneider — Baden 2021 "Haus Gupi - Capharnaüm" 88 WP very good 25.00 €

Weingut Karl May - Liebenauer Hof — Rhine/Rhein 2022 Silvaner Landwein "NOrange" 88 WP very good 16.00 €

Wassmann Pince - Weingut Wassmann — Südliches Transdanubien 2021 DHC Villány "Otto" 88 WP very good Up to 14.50 €

Weingut Baron Knyphausen — 2021 Kiedrich Sandgrub Riesling VDP.Erste Lage trocken 88 WP very good 19.00 €

Weingut Van Volxem — Mosel 2022 Ockfen Riesling VDP.Ortswein

Weingut Thomas Mend — Franconia/Franken 2021 Iphofen Kalb Kerner "225" 87 WP very good 14.50 €

Weingut Fritz Ekkehard Huff — Rheinhessen 2022 Schwabsburg Riesling trocken 87 WP very good 12.00 €

Weingut Stigler — Baden 2022 Grauburgunder VDP.Gutswein trocken "GB" 87 WP very good 11.50 €

Öko-Weingut Zang — Franconia/Franken 2021 Nordheim Vögelein Silvaner trocken "Gegenstrom" 14.00 €

Öko-Weingut Zang — Franconia/Franken 2020 Nordheim Silvaner Ortswein trocken 11.00 €

Weingut Cantzheim — Mosel 2022 Ayl Kupp Riesling trocken Große Lage, "die Kupp" 87 WP very good 28.00 €

Weingut Martin Conrad — Mosel 2022 Veldenz Kirchberg Riesling trocken 87 WP very good 14.90 €

Weingut Esterhazy — Burgenland 2022 Leithaberg DAC Grüner Veltliner "Estoras" 87 WP very good 11.00 €

Weingut Peter Wagner — Baden 2022 Müller-Thurgau Landwein trocken "vom Löss" 87 WP very good 9.50 €

Weingut Bäuerl — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2022 Wachau DAC Grüner Veltliner Steinfeder® trocken 87 WP very good 8.80 €

Tomislav Markovic — Mosel 2021 Riesling Landwein "Quo Vadis" 87 WP very good 22.00 €

Weingut von Hövel — Mosel 2022 Niedermennig Riesling VDP.Ortswein trocken 16.90 €

Weingut Greiner — Baden 2021 Gutedel Landwein trocken "Steinkreuz" 87 WP very good 18.00 €

Weingut Johannishof - Johannes Eser — 2022 Johannisberg Auf der Höll Riesling VDP.Erste Lage trocken 87 WP very good 14.20 €

Weingut Reef — Mosel 2022 Riesling Spätlese trocken "Devon S - Selektion" 87 WP very good 8.90 €

Weingut Emrich-Schönleber — Nahe 2022 Riesling VDP.Gutswein trocken "Mineral" 87 WP very good 16.50 €

Weingut am Stein - Ludwig Knoll — Franconia/Franken 2022 Würzburg Silvaner VDP.Ortswein trocken 87 WP very good

Tasting: Dry light wines for the summer Sparkling wine/frizzante

Az. Agr. CAVALIERA — Romagna 2020 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC secco "Federico" 15.00 €

Azienda Agricola Manicardi s.r.l. — Romagna 2021 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC secco "Vigna Cà del Fiore" 12.00 €

Azienda Agricola Manicardi s.r.l. — Romagna 2021 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC secco "Monte Barello 155"

Chiarli — Romagna 2022 Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC secco "del Fondatore" 14.00 €

Cantine Cavicchioli & Figli — Romagna 2022 Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC secco "Vigna del Cristo" 12.20 €

Lini Oreste & Figli SpA — Romagna 2022 Reggiano DOC secco Rosso "Labrusca® - Lini 910" Up to 7.00 €

Zanasi Azienda Agricola — Romagna 2021 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC secco "Tradizione Zanasi" Up to 10.00 €

Ca' de' Medici — Romagna Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC "Remigio 100" Up to 10.00 €

Società Agricola Vezzelli Francesco S.S. — Romagna 2022 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC secco "Rive dei Ciliegi" 8.70 €

Ca' de' Medici — Romagna Reggiano DOC "Remigiotto"

Medici Ermete — Romagna 2021 Reggiano DOC Lambrusco "Arte e Concerto®" 87 WP very good Up to 15.00 €

Cantina di Albinea Canali — Romagna Reggiano DOC secco "Fogile Rosse"

Tasting: Dry light wines for the summer Sparkling wine

Col Sandago — Veneto 2021 Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene DOCG Superiore Brut Nature "Antico" 88 WP very good

Col Sandago — Veneto 2022 Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene DOCG Superiore Extra Brut "Costa dei Falchi" 88 WP very good

Cantina di Albinea Canali — Romagna Reggiano DOC Extra Brut Rosso "AC"

Tenuta di Aljano — Romagna 2019 Lambrusco dell'Emilia IGT Dosage zero Rosé "Scandilia" 17.50 €

Weingut Kopp — Baden 2019 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs 88 WP very good 17.00 €

Weingut Kranz — Extra Brut "Blanc de Blancs" 87 WP very good 19.50 €

Az. Agr. Pezzuoli S.S. — Romagna Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC Extra Dry "SuDiGiri" 9.50 €

Cantina Di Carpi e Sorbara S.a.c. — Romagna Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC Brut "Omaggio a Gino Friedmann" Up to 15.00 €

Az. Agr. Zucchi Davide — Romagna 2020 Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC Extra Brut Up to 20.00 €

Settecani di Castelvetro — Romagna 2022 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC Brut Rosato "7 Rose" 12.00 €

Lusvardi Wine srl — Romagna 2021 Lambrusco dell'Emilia IGT Rosé 12.00 €

Az. Agr. Zucchi Davide — Romagna 2022 Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC Brut Rosé "Silvia Zucchi" Up to 15.00 €

Az. Agr. Zucchi Davide — Romagna 2022 Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC Brut "Etichetta Bianca" Up to 15.00 €

Cantina di Santa Croce Soc. Agr. Coop. — Romagna Lambrusco Salamino di S. Croce DOC Brut Rosé "100 Vendemmie" 5.80 €

Casarotto Azienda Agricola — Veneto 2021 Lessini Durello DOC Brut "Campo Sengia"

Tasting: Dry light wines for the summer Rosé wine

Weingut Claus Schneider — Baden 2021 Landwein trocken Rosé "vom Kalkstein" 88 WP very good 16.00 €

Weingut Greiner — Baden 2022 Landwein trocken "Saignée" 88 WP very good 10.00 €

Weingut Krone Assmannshausen — 2022 Spätburgunder VDP.Gutswein trocken "Pinot Rosé" 12.90 €

Weingut Friedrich Becker — 2022 "Petit Rosé" 86 WP very good 8.60 €

Weingut George — 2022 Pinot Noir trocken Rosé 7.90 €

Weingut Dr. Bürklin-Wolf — 2022 trocken Cuvée "Rosé" 85 WP very good 11.50 €

Weingut Albrecht Schwegler — 2021 "ROSÉ von den Parzellen" 85 WP very good 12.50 €

Tasting: Dry light wines for the summer Red wine

Hummel Pincészet - Weingut Hummel — Südliches Transdanubien 2019 Villány-Siklós trocken "Dumbledore" 92 WP excellent 100.00 €

Tomislav Markovic — Oberrhein 2021 Pinot Noir Landwein "Parabole" 91 WP excellent 45.00 €

Weingut Kranz — 2020 Ilbesheim Kalmit Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken 90 WP excellent 40.00 €

Weingut Zimmerle — 2020 Korb Berg Spätburgunder trocken "Goldadler" 89 WP very good 36.00 €

Weingut Paul Leipold — Franconia/Franken 2021 Obervolkach Landsknecht trocken "Pinot Noir" 89 WP very good 22.00 €

Tomislav Markovic — Oberrhein 2021 Pinot Noir Landwein "On the Rocks" 89 WP very good 36.50 €

Weingut Holger Koch — Baden 2021 Pinot Noir *** 38.00 €

Weingut Kopp — Baden 2019 Varnhalt Sonnenberg Spätburgunder trocken 89 WP very good 35.00 €

CANTINA MARCAZZAN FABIO — Veneto 2018 Veronese IGT Cabernet Franc Up to 40.00 €

Weingut May — Franconia/Franken 2021 Retzstadt Langenberg Spätburgunder VDP.Erste Lage trocken 88 WP very good 22.00 €

St. Antony Weingut GmbH & Co. KG — Rheinhessen 2021 Nierstein Pinot Noir VDP.Aus Ersten Lagen trocken 88 WP very good

Tomislav Markovic — Oberrhein 2021 Pinot Noir Landwein "Windspiel" 88 WP very good 22.00 €

Weingut Holger Koch — Baden 2021 Bickensohl Herrenstück Pinot Noir 17.50 €

Weingut Krone Assmannshausen — 2019 Assmannshausen Spätburgunder VDP.Ortswein trocken 24.90 €

Weingut Kopp — Baden 2020 Baden-Baden Balzenberg Spätburgunder trocken 88 WP very good 23.00 €

Weingut Wasem — Rheinhessen 2021 Pinot Noir trocken Reserve 88 WP very good 34.00 €

Staatlicher Hofkeller — Franconia/Franken 2021 Hörstein Abtsberg Spätburgunder VDP.Erste Lage trocken 88 WP very good 13.80 €

Domaine de la Touraize — Jura 2021 Arbois AOC Ploussard "La Cabane" Up to 25.00 €

Oliver Zeter — 2021 Pinot Noir 87 WP very good 12.50 €

Weingut Paul Leipold — Franconia/Franken 2021 Obervolkach Landsknecht Spätburgunder trocken Reserve "R" 87 WP very good 15.50 €

Weingut Eugen Müller — 2020 Forst Spätburgunder trocken "Alte Reben" 87 WP very good 25.00 €

Weingut Soellner — Lower Austria/Niederösterreich 2020 Blauer Zweigelt trocken "Oibelos" 87 WP very good 10.00 €

Weingut Krone Assmannshausen — 2020 Spätburgunder VDP.Gutswein trocken 17.90 €

Herrenhof Lamprecht — Steirerland 2020 Landwein trocken "Buchertberg® rot" 16.00 €

Weingut GBR Gutzler — Rheinhessen 2021 Spätburgunder VDP.Gutswein trocken 87 WP very good 11.60 €

Weingut Mario Thürkind — 2018 Gröst Steinberg Blauer Zweigelt trocken 87 WP very good 22.00 €

Staatlicher Hofkeller — Franconia/Franken 2021 Dorfprozelten Frühburgunder VDP.Ortswein trocken 87 WP very good 11.90 €

Previous article Next article

	100 WP unique Wines that can only be made differently, but not better.
	95-99 WP great World-class wines whose depth, complexity, character and expressiveness give an unforgettable, sensual experience.
	90-94 WP excellent First class wines that are among the best of their kind. They are characterized by purity, harmony, depth and character.
	85-89 WP very good Remarkable wines with personality, expression, as well as a certain complexity and depth. They deserve every wine lover's attention.
	80-84 WP good Clean, harmonious, at best typical wines.
	75-79 WP passable
	70-74 WP schwach
	60-69 WP insufficient
	50-59 WP unacceptable

Welcome back!

Tasting: Dry light wines for the summer

Refreshment for everyone!

Tasting: Dry light wines for the summer Dry white wine

Tasting: Dry light wines for the summer Sparkling wine/frizzante

Tasting: Dry light wines for the summer Sparkling wine

Tasting: Dry light wines for the summer Rosé wine

Tasting: Dry light wines for the summer Red wine

Related Magazine Articles

EVENTS NEAR YOU

100 WP unique

95-99 WP great

90-94 WP excellent

85-89 WP very good

80-84 WP good

75-79 WP passable

70-74 WP schwach

60-69 WP insufficient

50-59 WP unacceptable