Summer is fast approaching, which means coolers around the country will soon be filled with rosés and crisp white wines to fend off the season’s inevitable heat. But this year, some wine-lovers will swap out the typical bottles of Sauvignon Blanc and Chablis for… red wine? Yes! Chillable red wines are here to stay, and this rapidly growing category of light, easy-drinking wines make for the perfect summer sippers.
So what makes a red wine chillable? The bottles best suited for some time in the fridge are typically fruit-forward, have refreshing acidity, and lower levels of alcohol and tannin. While you could just throw any bottle on ice, serving a wine at cooler temperatures can mute its fruit character and amplify its structure, so it’s important to keep these factors in mind.
Certain grapes, regions, and winemaking styles also lend themselves particularly well to this category. The lovable, quaffable Gamay-based wines of France’s Beaujolais are often credited with bringing chilled-down reds into the limelight. The region is known for its use of the carbonic maceration method, which can accentuate the grape’s fruitier characteristics and decrease the level of tannin in the wine. Now winemakers around the world are experimenting with this technique on an array of different grapes — there’s carbonic Zinfandel from Walla Walla Valley and St. Laurent from Austria. Outside of Beaujolais, there’s a treasure trove of light-bodied varieties in northern Italy like Grignolino and Freisa, and interesting varieties from France’s Alpine regions, too.
We took on the arduous task of trying a wide range of what the chillable reds category has to offer right now, and narrowed it down to the top 25. There are Jura-inspired blends from California, herbaceous wines from Slovakia, and Gamays from Oregon, California, and, of course, Beaujolais. Here are VinePair’s 25 best chillable red wines for 2024.
Table Of Contents
Best Chillable Reds Under $30
Colterenzio St. Magdalener 2022
St. Magdalener is a subzone of northern Italy’s Alto Adige region that’s dedicated to the production of light to medium bodied, fresh reds. The wines must contain at least 85 percent Schiava, a local grape known for its blazing acidity and tart red fruit character. This bottle delivers all the classic characteristics of Schiava, with notes of cranberries, raspberries, and orange zest with a hint of earth and great acidity. For chillable reds at a great value, it’s usually a safe bet to look to the Schiava-based wines of Alto Adige.
Average price: $19
Rating: 89
Pray Tell Fruit Snacks 2023
This equal blend of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot, and Malbec from Oregon somehow bottles the exact feeling of chewing on your favorite gummy snacks. Aromas of blood orange, raspberries, and blackberries pop on the nose. The palate is brimming with juicy fruit character, but also offers structure, with grippy tannins and bright acidity.
Average price: $20
Rating: 90
Iuli Natalin 2022
Cascina Iuli is based in the small village of Montaldo (population 73) in the heart of Piedmont’s Monferrato region. Here, the Iuli family owns 106 hectares of wild forest and various crops, 35 of which are under vine. Fabrizio Iuli is the fourth generation to work with this land, organically farming varieties native to the region. This bottle is made from Grignolino, which is known for making bright, fruit-forward wines with great structure. So don’t be fooled by the wine’s light color or perfumed aromatics of raspberries and rose petals, as it still packs a mouthful of tannins and acidity. Food helps calm the grippy tannins, so make this your pizza night chilled red.
Average price: $22
Rating: 90
Las Jaras Wines Slipper Slippers Nouveau 2023
Las Jaras’ Nouveau bottling is a tribute to the wines of Beaujolais — where winemakers popularized fresh and fruity red wines made with the carbonic maceration method. But instead of using the Gamay grape (as they do in Beaujolais), Las Jaras makes this wine with Zinfandel and Carignan sourced from organic vineyards in Lodi, Calif. Even though these are considered relatively full-bodied varieties, the winemaking style leads to a light expression, coming in at just 11.87 percent ABV. The palate pops with notes of cherry soda, black raspberry, and fruit punch.
Average price: $22
Rating: 90
Margins Neutral Oak Hotel Red 2023
Winemaker Megan Bell started Margins with the goal of producing low-intervention wines using grapes from underrepresented regions, vineyards, and varietals. Though Margins primarily focuses on singular expressions of unique grapes and vineyards, the winery introduced the “Neutral Oak Hotel” blend after the 2020 vintage, bringing together grapes like Grenache, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Mourvèdre, Chenin Blanc, Negrette, and Barbera into an easy-drinking wine. This wine has a wonderful light color and offers vibrant notes of strawberries, raspberries, and orange zest.
Average price: $24
Rating: 91
Field Recordings Freddo 2023
This bottle was literally built to be chilled. Not unlike a certain macro-beer brand promotion back in the day, the label on this wine turns from white to blue when chilled, indicating the perfect temperature for consumption. It’s an unexpected blend of Sangiovese and Valdiguié from the Central Coast of California — we wouldn’t be surprised if this was the first time the two were blended together in one wine — but they come together beautifully to offer a juicy wine full of fresh red fruit notes and bright acidity.
Average price: $25
Rating: 89
Division-Villages ‘Les Petits Fers’ Gamay Noir 2023
Oregon-based Division Winemaking Company’s “Division-Villages” label is a tribute to the easy-drinking village-level wines of France. This particular wine, made from the Gamay grape, is an homage to the delightfully light and fruity wines of Beaujolais. Made in Beaujolais’ typical carbonic maceration method, this wine is delightfully juicy, with notes of raspberries, strawberries, and watermelon floating out of the glass. What brings it to the next level, though, are the pops of black pepper that add a complex savory kick.
Average price: $26
Rating: 93
Emme Wines ‘pink lemonade’ 2023
This wine is our ideal version of adult pink lemonade. It’s a field blend of both white and red grapes — including Colombard, Carignan, Valdiguié, Zinfandel, and Abouriou — from the organic, dry-farmed Ricetti Vineyard in Mendocino. Winemaker Rosalind Reynolds brings these varieties together masterfully into a low-alcohol (11 percent ABV), quaffable, fruit-forward wine. It’s full of juicy cherry and strawberry candy flavors with a refreshing acidity and barely-there tannins.
Average price: $26
Rating: 91
Two Shepherds L’il Trouble Mourvèdre 2023
In the south of France Mourvèdre is known for making full-bodied, meaty reds. But Sonoma’s Two Shepherds flipped the script on this variety with this chillable bottle made by fermenting Mourvèdre on its skins for only half the typical time. The result is a 9.5 percent ABV bottle with notes of cranberries, white cherries, and watermelon. Named for the winery’s resident goat named Trouble, this gluggable bottle brings a little bit of good trouble to the party.
Average price: $26
Rating: 90
Azienda Agricola Summer Wolff GioGio 2022
Summer Wolff runs a wine import business and works with her husband, Fabrizio Iuli, at his Piedmont-based winery Cascina Iuli, but in working with Iuli’s wines, she became fascinated with Piedmont’s native Freisa grape and decided to make a label of her own. This GioGio bottling is her expression of Freisa. It’s wonderfully aromatic, with vibrant notes of cherries and strawberries with a hint of fresh cream. The palate has an energetic acidity and subtle tannins.
Average price: $27
Rating: 92
Claus Preisinger Puszta Libre! 2022
This playful blend from renowned Austrian winemaker Claus Preisinger showcases the bright and fun side of Austria’s native red grapes. This bottle is a blend of St. Laurent and Zweigelt made with partial carbonic maceration. This juicy and slightly effervescent wine pops with notes of cherry Coke, black raspberries, and subtle hints of white pepper.
Average price: $27
Rating: 90
Joseph-Jibril Wines Carbonic (Red Wine) 2023
The Joseph-Jibril winery makes this crushable red from a blend of 62 percent Pinot Noir, 19 percent Valdiguié, and 19 percent Cabernet Franc sourced from organically farmed vineyards in Northern California. Each variety undergoes carbonic maceration in separate lots, then they’re blended and aged in neutral oak. The result is a vibrant wine with notes of cherry, vanilla, and raspberries, with a slight hint of banana.
Average price: $27
Rating: 90
Strekov 1075 ‘Fred’ NV
Strekov 1075 is an organic producer in the village of Strekov in southern Slovakia on the border of Hungary. Fred is the winery’s non-vintage, everyday red blend made with local varieties Alibernet, Dunaj, and Portugieser. The producer claims the Alibernet brings structure, the Dunaj offers ample fruit notes, and Portugieser adds freshness to the overall wine. The palate is full of dark fruit notes like ripe blackberries with savory hints of herbs and black pepper.
Average price: $27
Rating: 91
Ameztoi Stimatum 2023
You might recognize this iconic label from rosé-soaked summer days at the beach. But this isn’t Ameztoi’s ultra-popular Txakolina rosé — it’s the winery’s more difficult-to-find red bottling, which showcases the Basque country’s indigenous Hondarrabi Beltza grape. Believed to be a descendant of Cabernet Franc, Hondarrabi Beltza is known for its red fruit and green, herbaceous notes, and this bottle brings those fresh raspberry, blackberry, and jalapeño flavors. Just like Ameztoi’s famous rosé, this wine is refreshing, low-alcohol, and a joy to drink chilled on a hot day.
Average price: $28
Rating: 89
Limited Addition Wines Rouge Crush 2022
While the Willamette Valley is renowned for its single-varietal wines like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Limited Addition winery believes blends like this can be big for the future of the region. This wine is made with Trousseau, Gamay, and Pinot Noir — similar to a blend one might find in France’s Jura region — and unsurprisingly, this combination of light-bodied, red fruit-forward grapes leads to one juicy, easy-drinking wine. It’s light on its feet at just 11.8 percent ABV and packs a punch of red berry flavors.
Average price: $29
Rating: 90
Best Chillable Reds Under $50
Château du Moulin-à-Vent Couvent des Thorins 2021
Moulin-à-Vent is one of the 10 crus of Beaujolais known for making distinct and high-quality expressions of the Gamay grape. This wine comes from the historic Château du Moulin-à-Vent estate that dates back to 1732, and this particular bottle is a blend of three of the estate’s best parcels. It has bright notes of cranberries, orange zest, and cherries with hints of pepper. The palate brings Beaujolais’ signature acidity and subtle tannins.
Average price: $30
Rating: 92
Couleurs de Breuil Le Grolleau 2022
While Cabernet Franc reigns as the Loire Valley’s dominant red grape, more obscure, light-bodied varieties in the region are starting to peek out of the shadows as drinkers look for more chillable reds. Enter Grolleau, a long-underappreciated workhorse variety that, when made with intention, can lead to a delightfully fruity, juicy wine. This example is brimming with notes of brambly blackberries, black raspberry, and orange zest with an intense underlying savory character of smoke, cured meats, and black pepper.
Average price: $30
Rating: 90
Itä Wines Carbonic Zinfandel 2023
Here we have another wine showcasing the power of carbonic maceration, a technique that can transform even bold grapes like Zinfandel into light, fresh, 10 percent ABV wines. This bottle from Walla Walla Valley brings ripe red berry notes with hints of dried herbs on the finish.
Average price: $30
Rating: 90
Catch & Release Wines Credits & Cameos 2023
This Jura-inspired blend is made with 44 percent Gamay, 33 percent Trousseau, and 23 percent Pinot Noir from organically farmed vineyards across Northern California. It has aromas of freshly squeezed oranges and red berries on the nose. The palate is bursting with fruit punch flavors, but with a slight earthy note that adds complexity.
Average price: $30
Rating: 90
Ryme Cellars Alicante Bouschet 2022
Alicante Bouschet is a grape widely planted in Spain, Portugal, and southern France, known for being one of the few teinturier grapes (meaning the grape has both red skins and red flesh on the inside), and therefore making vibrant, deep-colored wines. Though the wines might look inky, they can be beautifully light-bodied, making them a great candidate for chilling. This example from Ryme Cellars in California has spritzy grapefruit, cherry, and blackberry notes on the palate. At just 11.4 percent ABV, it’s a delightful, easy-drinking bottle.
Average price: $30
Rating: 90
Liska Wine Co. Björnson Vineyard Gamay Noir 2022
While Gamay can make fun, gluggable wines, this bottle from Oregon-based Liska Wine Co. shows the variety’s slightly more serious side. The winery sources the grapes from the Björnson Vineyard in the Willamette Valley’s Eola-Amity Hills AVA, then the wine undergoes partial whole-cluster fermentation and is aged in neutral French oak barrels for nine months. The palate offers pops of brambly blackberries with some intriguing dried herb and pepper notes. If you can’t decide between a serious sipper to drink with dinner or a fun, easy-going bottle to glug down on its own, this bottle can do both.
Average price: $32
Rating: 91
Vigna Lenuzza Schioppettino di Prepotto 2020
Native to northeastern Italy’s Friuli region, Schioppettino is a once-forgotten grape that was saved from near-extinction in the 1970s. The variety lends itself to aromatic wines with bright fruit alongside more savory, earthy notes. This bottle delivers its signature profile with ripe cherry, strawberry, and black pepper flavors. The palate has good acidity and grippy tannins, making this a prime bottle to accompany a plate of Prosciutto di San Daniele.
Average price: $33
Rating: 90
Rootdown Cole Ranch Trousseau 2022
Located in California’s Mendocino region, Cole Ranch is the smallest AVA in North America, which Rootdown founder and winemaker Mike Lucia acquired in 2019. The tiny, 180-acre area sits at a high elevation, providing the vines with a unique microclimate that’s cooler than the surrounding region. Here, Lucia crafts Alpine-inspired wines with varieties typically found in French and Swiss regions, like this elegant Trousseau. The wine is delicate on the palate, with subtle notes of tart cranberries, blood orange, dried spices, and sage.
Average price: $36
Rating: 91
Ridge Vineyards Frediani Valdiguié 2023
California’s Ridge Vineyards is known for its bold red blends, but the winery really switches it up with this small-production Napa Valley Valdiguié. This wine encapsulates the idea of a “juicy” red. There are no tannins in sight there, just pure fruit notes of watermelon Jolly Rancher, ripe raspberries, and orange zest, all lifted by refreshing acidity.
Average price: $38
Rating: 91
Pax Gamay Noir Alta Monte 2023
Another serious take on the Gamay grape, this bottle from Pax Wines in Sonoma brings bright aromas of blueberries, blackberries, and earth on the nose. The palate is perfectly balanced between fruit-forward and savory notes, with slightly grippy tannins that add structure.
Average price: $40
Rating: 91
FAQs
What makes a red wine chillable?
Wines that have a fruit-forward, aromatic flavor profile make great candidates for chilling. You also want to make sure that the wine isn’t too high in tannin, as serving tannic wines at a cold temperature can be a bit abrasive. If the wine has good acidity, that is always a plus, too, as it enhances the refreshment and drinkability factors of the wine.
What are the best red wines to chill?
Although it is important to keep in mind that all red wines should be served slightly cooler than room temperature, there are certain wines that benefit from an even longer chill. Factors to consider include grape variety and winemaking technique. For example, high-acid, fruit-forward grapes like Gamay, Mencia, Frappato, Pinot Noir, and Zweigelt make for great chilled reds. Wines made with the carbonic maceration method are also prime for enjoying chilled, since this fermentation method brings out the wine’s intense fruity characteristics.
VinePair’s Tasting Methodology
Throughout the year, VinePair conducts numerous tastings for our popular Buy This Booze column, and wine and spirits reviews. Our mission is to provide a clear, reliable source of information for drinkers, providing an overview applicable to day-to-day buying and drinking.
Tastings are not typically conducted blind. In alignment with our reviews mission, we believe in purposefully tasting all products as our readers typically would, with full knowledge of the producer, the region, and — importantly — the price.
