If You Mostly Drink Full-Bodied Red Wines You’re Not Alone, But You Are Missing Out

On a lot.

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During my time on the wine shop and bar floor, I guesstimate that 65% of the wines I sold were red.

And most of those were full-bodied reds. Cabernet Sauvignon. Zinfandel. Malbec.

Honestly, it made me want to cry.

Not because I don’t like full-bodied red wine but because it meant people were missing out on a whole world.

Light reds. Rich whites. Rosé. Sparkling.

Perhaps you know what I mean. Perhaps when you buy wine you look for those that fill your mouth with rich fruit and a whack of oak. Especially if you’re looking for a next-level wine to your usual bottle.

And like I always say — you do you.

But having said that, I hope once you’ve read this, you might give other styles the chance they deserve too, especially when you’re looking for a decent bottle.

Because whilst no good was ever found at the bottom of a $5 bottle of white wine, a $25 bottle is another matter completely.

I get it. You want a party in your mouth

You want wine that is a safe bet. And full-bodied red wine is that.

It’s easy to understand. It fills your mouth with flavour. It makes you go WOW.

You want a party in your mouth. You don’t want the vinous equivalent of jazz music — something that takes time to understand and love.

Like I say. It makes me sad that this is the way it is. Especially because it’s not like this with food or even beer.

From many years in the trade, I noticed engaged beer drinkers are less nervous about drinking something out of their comfort zone. They’ll chug a sour German göse or a rhubarb and custard IPA without much thought.

And foodies will work hard to like — and even love — difficult-to-understand food. I mean, who loves oysters the first time they try them?

But in many ways, wine has been left out in the cold. If anyone came into my wine store to buy a bottle for a friend and used the phrase:

He likes his wines…

Nine times out of 10 that was code for:

He likes full-bodied reds.

I put people’s reluctance to spend on other styles down to two reasons.

Money and culture.

Wine is expensive. Unless you’re Rockefeller or seriously prioritise it (there’s a reason I live in a cheap one-bedroomed apartment), most people don’t have enough money to deeply explore wine. They don’t have the money to try, try, and try again on wines they don’t know.

And they certainly can’t afford to make mistakes.

Culturally speaking, full-bodied red wines have earned a place as “fancy” (think Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, or Barolo). Many white wines on the other hand have gained a reputation for “easy drinking,” especially the light crisp styles that are in fashion right now — think Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

So if we spend, we spend on red wine.

Part of this is because of the way we approach food. We in the West tend to follow the Escoffier approach of eating, where meat is the star of the show. And with meat traditionally goes red wine.

Part of it is because full-bodied red wines are generally easier to understand and love, especially if you drink wine without food (as is the case for 70% of all wines consumed).

And part of it is because red wines are expensive to make. Oak barrels cost money. Generally, full-bodied red wines have to spend longer at the winery before they’re bottled. And capacity is money, my friend.

So believe me. I get it. Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s most popular grape variety for a reason.

But I want to plead a case that this is not how it should be.

I’ll show you how to do it instead.

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White wine to blow your mind

For my money, I’m much more likely to splurge on a decent bottle of white than red.

I’m not alone. My friend owns a wine bar and the other day commented that whenever wine trade folk drink in his place, they generally choose white.

I would love to see more people follow suit but to do that, they’ve got to understand that white wine is so much more than easy drinking plonk only useful for getting day drunk.

And for that, you’ve got to look to the right regions.

If you want white wine that will give you that party in your mouth, Burgundy is a good start. This is the OG region for quality white wine and is responsible for some of the biggest wine epiphanies of my life.

Dry German Riesling is another place to look. Bone dry acid bombs that are much more food-friendly than your average Napa Valley Cab.

Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley in France is another.

And the quality end of South Africa is a goldmine for decent whites.

Not to mention Encruzado from Dão in Portugal, Macabeu from Côtes Catalanes in France, Rieslings from Alsace in France, and Chardonnay from Jura (also France).

The list goes on and on and on.

These are not wines you’ll find on the bottom shelf of your local liquor store. They know their worth so yes, you have to pay a little more for them.

The difference between a $5 bottle of white wine and a $25 one is so incredibly vast you might find yourself swapping your Zinfandel for Chardonnay.

And that’s no bad thing.

These wines deserve all the attention

Decent rosé will change your life forever. If you ever get the chance to try Tavel from France’s Rhône Valley or a traditional rosado from Rioja, make sure you do.

Sparkling wines beyond Champagne can be a revelation. I’ve literally dreamt about sparkling Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley. I’ll never say no to a quality Spanish Cava.

And give me $20 in a Sherry store and I’ll show you what life is really all about.

As for red wine, the lighter, elegant styles will always capture my attention and my heart more than the big bruisers. Like people, the best ones take a while to understand but once you do, you’ll wonder how you lived without them.

Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley.

Beaujolais.

Pinot Noir from Burgundy, Germany, Alsace, Jura, or cooler parts of California.

Syrah from the Northern Rhône.

Weird-ass varietals like Troussau from Jura.

I could write 5000 words on wines I wish people would prioritise as equally as heavy red wines and 5000 words more on why. But the bottom line is once you look beyond the world of rich reds, you won’t need my words.

You’ll be too busy enjoying yourself.

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Big red wines can be glorious. I’m never happier than when I drink Barolo.

But they’re not everything. And in my opinion, they shouldn’t dominate the world of wine as much as they do.

So buy the decent white. Take a punt on a quality rosé. Give light reds a chance. I promise, so long as you buy the right one (I can help with that), you’ll find a party still happens in your mouth.

It might not be as as loud. It might take longer to get into the groove. But find the right bottle and it’s a party you’ll never want to leave.