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...
Weingut Emrich-Schönleber
— Nahe
2022 Monzingen Riesling VDP.Ortswein trocken "Frühtau"
91 WP
excellent
20.00 €
Weingut Baron Knyphausen
— Rheingau
2021 Riesling VDP.Gutswein "Charta"
90 WP
excellent
13.50 €
Tomislav Markovic
— Rheinhessen
2021 Siefersheim Heerkretz Sauvignon Blanc
89 WP
very good
36.50 €
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 €
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
— Rheingau
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"
Up to 14.50 €
Weingut Baron Knyphausen
— Rheingau
2021 Kiedrich Sandgrub Riesling VDP.Erste Lage trocken
88 WP
very good
19.00 €
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 Ziereisen
— Baden
2020 Landwein "Viviser"
88 WP
very good
14.60 €
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
2020 Nordheim Silvaner Ortswein trocken
11.00 €
Öko-Weingut Zang
— Franconia/Franken
2021 Nordheim Vögelein Silvaner trocken "Gegenstrom"
14.00 €
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
— Rheingau
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
Weingut Thomas Mend
— Franconia/Franken
2021 Iphofen Kalb Kerner "225"
87 WP
very good
14.50 €
Az. Agr. CAVALIERA
— Emilia Romagna
2020 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC secco "Federico"
15.00 €
Azienda Agricola Manicardi s.r.l.
— Emilia Romagna
2021 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC secco "Vigna Cà del Fiore"
12.00 €
Azienda Agricola Manicardi s.r.l.
— Emilia Romagna
2021 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC secco "Monte Barello 155"
Cantine Cavicchioli & Figli
— Emilia Romagna
2022 Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC secco "Vigna del Cristo"
12.20 €
Chiarli
— Emilia Romagna
2022 Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC secco "del Fondatore"
14.00 €
Lini Oreste & Figli SpA
— Emilia Romagna
2022 Reggiano DOC secco Rosso "Labrusca® - Lini 910"
Up to 7.00 €
Zanasi Azienda Agricola
— Emilia Romagna
2021 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC secco "Tradizione Zanasi"
Up to 10.00 €
Società Agricola Vezzelli Francesco S.S.
— Emilia Romagna
2022 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC secco "Rive dei Ciliegi"
8.70 €
Ca' de' Medici
— Emilia Romagna
Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC "Remigio 100"
Up to 10.00 €
Ca' de' Medici
— Emilia Romagna
Reggiano DOC "Remigiotto"
Medici Ermete
— Emilia Romagna
2021 Reggiano DOC Lambrusco "Arte e Concerto®"
87 WP
very good
Up to 15.00 €
Col Sandago
— Veneto
2021 Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene DOCG Superiore Brut Nature "Antico"
88 WP
very good
Up to 16.00 €
Col Sandago
— Veneto
2022 Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene DOCG Superiore Extra Brut "Costa dei Falchi"
88 WP
very good
Tenuta di Aljano
— Emilia 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. Zucchi Davide
— Emilia Romagna
2020 Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC Extra Brut
Up to 20.00 €
Az. Agr. Pezzuoli S.S.
— Emilia Romagna
Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC Extra Dry "SuDiGiri"
9.50 €
Cantina Di Carpi e Sorbara S.a.c.
— Emilia Romagna
Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC Brut "Omaggio a Gino Friedmann"
Up to 15.00 €
Lusvardi Wine srl
— Emilia Romagna
2021 Lambrusco dell'Emilia IGT Rosé
12.00 €
Az. Agr. Zucchi Davide
— Emilia Romagna
2022 Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC Brut Rosé "Silvia Zucchi"
Up to 15.00 €
Az. Agr. Zucchi Davide
— Emilia Romagna
2022 Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC Brut "Etichetta Bianca"
Up to 15.00 €
Cantina di Santa Croce Soc. Agr. Coop.
— Emilia Romagna
Lambrusco Salamino di S. Croce DOC Brut Rosé "100 Vendemmie"
5.80 €
Settecani di Castelvetro
— Emilia Romagna
2022 Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC Brut Rosato "7 Rose"
12.00 €
Weingut Greiner
— Baden
2022 Landwein trocken "Saignée"
88 WP
very good
10.00 €
Weingut Claus Schneider
— Baden
2021 Landwein trocken Rosé "vom Kalkstein"
88 WP
very good
16.00 €
Weingut Krone Assmannshausen GmbH & Co. KG
— Rheingau
2022 Spätburgunder VDP.Gutswein trocken "Pinot Rosé"
12.90 €
Weingut Friedrich Becker
— Pfalz
2022 "Petit Rosé"
86 WP
very good
8.60 €
Weingut Dr. Bürklin-Wolf
— Pfalz
2022 trocken Cuvée "Rosé"
85 WP
very good
11.50 €
Weingut Albrecht Schwegler
— Württemberg
2021 "ROSÉ von den Parzellen"
85 WP
very good
12.50 €
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
— Pfalz
2020 Ilbesheim Kalmit Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs trocken
90 WP
excellent
40.00 €
Weingut 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 Zimmerle
— Württemberg
2020 Korb Berg Spätburgunder trocken "Goldadler"
89 WP
very good
36.00 €
Weingut May
— Franconia/Franken
2021 Retzstadt Langenberg Spätburgunder VDP.Erste Lage trocken
88 WP
very good
22.00 €
St. Antony
— 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 GmbH & Co. KG
— Rheingau
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 €
HERRENHOF LAMPRECHT
— Steirerland
2020 Landwein trocken "Buchertberg® rot"
88 WP
very good
16.00 €
Oliver Zeter
— Pfalz
2021 Pinot Noir
87 WP
very good
12.50 €
Weingut Leipold
— Franconia/Franken
2021 Obervolkach Landsknecht Spätburgunder trocken Reserve "R"
87 WP
very good
15.50 €
Weingut Eugen Müller
— Pfalz
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 GmbH & Co. KG
— Rheingau
2020 Spätburgunder VDP.Gutswein trocken
17.90 €
Weingut GBR Gutzler
— Rheinhessen
2021 Spätburgunder VDP.Gutswein trocken
87 WP
very good
11.60 €
Staatlicher Hofkeller
— Franconia/Franken
2021 Dorfprozelten Frühburgunder VDP.Ortswein trocken
87 WP
very good
11.90 €