Is “Lite” Wine In Your Future?

By Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr   

Winemakers are adapting to new demands from consumers for a range of products, from no-alcohol to lower-alcohol wines. Along the way, lower-calorie wines have crept into the picture and are often prominently featured on the bottle. The lower-calorie movement reminds us of the rush by brewers into lite beers in the 1970s.

Historically, Gablingers Extra Light Beer was the first light beer invented in the 1960s by a Swiss chemist who developed a technique to reduce carbohydrates and calories in beer. After two commercial attempts to market light beer, Miller Brewing purchased the formulation rights, improved them, and rebranded the new product as “lite beer”. Coors and Budweiser lite beers followed in the next decade. Today, roughly 40 percent of the total US beer market is currently lite beers.

Will wine sales follow the “lite beer” model? Only time will tell, but so far, the movement is gaining steam.

We recently sampled several iterations of lower-alcohol and lower-calorie wines and came away fairly impressed by their palatability, which is ultimately the main driver of success for any beverage.

For perspective, a regular glass of table wine provides about 150 calories per 5 oz. portion.

Our first sample was the Yalumba Y Series Lighter Chardonnay South Australia 2024 ($15). This ultra-low calorie (66 calories/ 5oz glass) was significantly lighter in the mouth than the other samples. Light fruit notes with a citrus edge. Try this example with a big chill on a hot day outdoors.

Liquid Light Sauvignon Blanc Washington State 2023 ($13-16). This sample provided the most alcohol per glass (12.5%). Only 95 calories and less than 1 gram of sugar the wine presented a crisp light style with classic herbal, citrus notes.

Wine giant Mezzacorona launched a new brand called Ventessa that offers lower alcohol (9 percent) and lower calorie (90 calories) wines. We tasted three examples of the wine with the Vignetti Delle Dolomiti IGT appellation from the Trentino area.

The first was the Mezzacorona Ventessa Vignetti Delle Dolomiti IGT Pinot Grigio 2023 ($10-13). We could not detect that this wine had lower calories or lower alcohol. A very pleasant fruity quaff sported pear and citrus notes in a very pleasant package.

The Mezzacorona Ventessa Pinot Grigio Rosé Vignetti Delle Dolomiti IGT 2024 ($10-13) is a lighter style rosé with pale tones and a light refreshing mouthfeel. A hint of cherry with citrus overtones. Pleasant.

Mezzacorona Ventessa Red Blend Vignetti Delle Dolomiti IGT 2023 ($10-13). This delightful red wine is designed to drink in the summer with a good chill. Crafted from indigenous red grapes schiava and teroldego, this light-colored wine shows some cherry and berry notes with light acidity.  A real winner.

Rodney Strong

At least once a year we feature Rodney Strong wines when they release a new product. We are rarely disappointed, and we continue to value their sane pricing and general availability. Amazingly they have managed to master the ability to wrangle the best from different grape varieties and growing locations. The latest batch of current releases impressed us and following are our impressions.

Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc Charlottes Home Sonoma County 2023 ($18). A lovely presentation of the potential of the sauvignon blanc grape. A mélange of lime, herbs, grass, and peach and melon notes create a complex, pleasing wine for the palate with zippy acidity.

Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc Alexander Valley 2024 ($25). A softer rounder expression of the grape with lemon, peach and white plum notes.

Rodney Strong Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2023 Limited ($37). This is a very impressive chardonnay from this storied appellation for cool climate grapes. Lemon, toasty nose with flavors mirroring the nose and adding lovely pear notes.

Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Sonoma County Limited 2023 ($37). Aged in 100 percent new and used French oak barrels. Beautiful presentation of blackberry, blueberry and cherry elements in a subtle oak frame. Good structure and a very fair price.

Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley Sonoma County Limited 2022 ($37). This is a well-made, sturdy Cabernet Sauvignon with abundant fruit flavors of cherry, cassis, and berries. A nice, mild oak frame with hints of chocolate. Drink now or over the next 5 years.

Champagne Piaff    

We recently sampled the current releases from Champagne Piaff. The current winemaker is Maxime Mansard and he is a fifth-generation winemaker in Epernay. We were very impressed with the quality of their champagne and its pricing in the $50-60 range.

Our favorites were the Champagne Piaff Brut N/V ($50-60). This brut presented an enticing creamy, yeasty, nose and lovely ripe apple notes with a hint of yeast and citrus. The champagne was bold, mouth filling, and the finish lingered. Almost equal amounts of pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay

The Champagne Piaff Rose Brut N/V ($50-60) expressed a beautiful strawberry color with strawberry and cherry notes and a creamy finish. Full bodied and delightful. Pinot noir and pinot meunier dominate with a bit less chardonnay.

Wine picks

Quinta da Fonte Souto Florao Branco 2024 ($23). Drawing grapes from the highest point in the relatively flat Alentejano region of southern Portugal, this distinctive white blend of arinto and verdelho grapes is delicious. The stainless-steel vessels used in aging preserves the freshness and acidity of this floral and citrus-dominated wine. The producer also makes a red blend of many native grape varieties that is equally delicious for the same price.

Buscado Vivo o Muerto La Verdad San Pablo Chardonnay 2019 ($50). This Chardonnay from Argentina is enjoyable for its fresh and tart citrus and mineral flavors.