“When it comes to crowd-pleasing red wines, chillable reds are unbeatable. These lighter-bodied red wines are easy to find, and budget-friendly.”
The TL;DR for the difference between chillable red wine and red wine is:
Chillable red wine is a lighter-bodied red wine served between 50–60˚F, while standard red wines are fuller-bodied, and served between 60–68˚F. Chillable red wines are fruity and refreshing, while red wines are denser and more complex. The difference comes down to winemaking techniques and when the grapes are harvested.
Essentially, the difference comes down to the grapes used, the winemaking technique, and the serving temperature.
Chillable Red Wine vs Red Wine: How to Approach the Differences
One of the best perks of being a wine copywriter is constantly trying different styles of wine. When I started this blog a few years ago, I knew that chillable red wines were something I wanted to highlight – and often!
You see, one of the biggest misconceptions about red wine is that as a category, red wine is heavy, it’s the giver of headaches, and it’s not something you want to drink on a hot day.
When people tell me they don’t like red wine for the above reasons, I tell them: you’re not drinking the right red wine. Here, try this chillable red and tell me you don’t like it. That usually shuts down the dissenters.
Okay, but what is the actual difference?
If we’re talking about quality, there is no debate between red wine vs chillable red wine because they are two totally different styles of wine, for different drinkers on different occasions.
First, let’s look at what chillable wine is.
What is chillable red wine?
Chillable red wines are a style of light-bodied, low alcohol red wine that is intended to be served between 50–60˚F. These wines are made with grapes like Gamay, Trousseau, Cinsault, Cabernet Franc, Frappato, and a slew of others.
These colder-than-your-average-red-wine wines are known for their red fruit characteristics, and refreshing, acid-driven palates. The grapes used to make chillable red wines spend less time on the vine, so they have punchier characteristics, and lower sugar levels. They are not intended to be aged, but rather enjoyed immediately after they are released, or laid down in the cellar for just a few years.
The lighter style of wine means these are amazing (ah-maze-ing) for warm days and relaxed just-want-a-low-key-glass-of-wine-on-the-porch days.
Some keywords to help you remember what a chillable red wine is:
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- Light-bodied
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- Fruit-forward or fruity (think strawberry, watermelon, even bubblegum)
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- Tangy
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- Acidic
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- Low alcohol
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- Low tannins
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- Meant to be drunk young
Why is Chillable Red Wine So Trendy?
The driving force behind the chillable red wine trend comes down to younger wine drinkers just not being that into heavier red wines. The palates leave them feeling weighed down, rather than lifted, tannins aren’t a turn on, and frankly, they may not have the deep-pocket money that some high quality, traditional red wines require to purchase entry level bottles.
If you can believe it, the average bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet is over $100!
You know that movie, He’s Just Not That Into You? That’s how a lot of younger people feel about this style of red wines.
Younger winemakers, feeling the same angst as their peers, started producing lighter wines that leaned into juicy, acidic fruit flavors. Then, they started telling their cool sommelier and tastemaker friends about it, and the rest, they say, is chilled wine history.
How is Chillable Red Wine Made?
One of the most popular methods winemakers use to make a chillable red wine is with a process called carbonic maceration. As a winemaking technique, carbonic maceration is pretty interesting.
Here’s how it works: whole grapes are placed inside an airtight vat (the airtight part is important). With no oxygen exposure, the grapes begin fermenting within their own skins from the inside out. (Queue the *snap*, *crackle*, *pop* commercial).
Carbonic maceration starts the fermentation process without the use of yeast, and without crushing the grapes. The resulting wine tastes fresh, lively, and lip-smackingly tart. When it comes to enhancing fruit flavors, this process is basically the equivalent of turning the volume knob up on your stereo super high until the treble is rocking the house on the foundation (in a good way).
Blending Grapes
Okay, wine geeks, here is something else to love when measuring the differences between supremely sippable chilled red wines and their standard red counterparts. Winemakers can get really creative with the grapes they use.
We have already touched on a few of the most popular grapes used to make chillable reds, but, here’s the thing: while these bottles can be single varietal wines, they can also be cool blends that include grapes you never thought you’d see together.
Here are a few example of some intriguing chillable red wine blends:
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- Martha Stoumen’s 2022 Post Flirtation Red is 62% Zinfandel, 34% Carignan, 3% Pinot Noir, 1% Petite Sirah.
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- Las Jaras’ 2022 Glou-Glou is 51% Zinfandel, 30% Carignan, 17% Petite Sirah, 2% Charbono.
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- Emme Wines ‘Pink Lemonade’ is a blend of Chardonnay, Colombard, Zinfandel, Abouriou, Valdiguié, and Carignan.
Some of the most popular grapes used to make chillable red wines include:
- Grignolino
- Freisa
- Mission
- Cinsault
- Counoise
- Schiava
- Poulsard
- Pelaverga
- Teroldego
- Ruché
It’s also worth noting that these grapes are not exclusively used to make chillable red wines, they are also used in standard red wines. The difference comes down to how the wine is made, and the intent of the winemaker.
How Red Wine is Made
The biggest difference in the winemaking techniques used for red wine and chillable red wine is the use of carbonic maceration. In carbonic maceration, the grapes are not crushed, but instead are placed whole into a sealed container with a small amount of wine. The grapes ferment inside their skins, releasing carbon dioxide and creating a fermentation “party”. This process gives chillable red wines their characteristic light, fruity flavors.
Traditional red wines are not made with carbonic maceration. The grapes are crushed and the juice is fermented with the skins. This process extracts more color, tannins, and flavor from the grapes, resulting in a more full-bodied wine.
Traditional red wines are often aged in oak barrels, which adds complexity and smoothness to the wine. Chillable red wines, on the other hand, are typically not aged in oak, as this can give them a heavier flavor. Instead, they are often aged in concrete or neutral oak.
Red Wine vs. Chillable Red Wine: Organic Farming vs. Conventional Farming Methods
Another key difference between conventional red wine (large commercial brands) and chillable red wines, is the farming method. Like everything else about a wine, this all comes down to the vision of the winemaker, and his relationship with the grower.
Because chillable red wines tend to be made by younger winemakers at boutique wine brands, you will notice a lot of these wines are organically or biodynamically farmed, prioritize low intervention winemaking, and avoid herbicides and pesticides.
To be fair, there are red wine producers that embrace these tenets too. Ridge, for example, is the largest organic grape grower in Sonoma County, and they produce 35,000 cases of wine a year. You’re just more likely to see the little guys and gals selecting grapes for their chill-worthy wines that adhere to these ideals.
Chillable Red Wine vs. Red Wine: Which Wine to Serve
One of the best things about chillable red wine, and red wine in general, is that there is wine for every occasion, no matter who you’re serving or what you’re serving.
Selecting the right wine is all about context. We all have those wine friends who judge the quality of their wine by much the bottle costs, and those same “serious” wine friends might give you a funny look when you pull out a bottle that is the color of fruit punch, and say, that’s not real wine, but they just don’t understand what chillable wine is, and when it should be served.
When you’re talking to these folks, describe the red wine vs. chillable red wine differences this way: chillable reds are the fun wines, and red wines are the wines you might pull out for big, hearty dinners, or indulgent nights when you want a bigger-bodied wine with a richer palate.
I mean, one look at the labels on a lot of glou-glou wines (AKA chillable reds from producers like Las Jaras, and you can tell these winemakers are trying to appeal to the side of you that embraces the less serious side of life.
Again, knowing which wine to serve is all about context. Chillable red wines are perfect for lazy days drinking by the pool, or occasions when everyone is hanging around in the backyard casually sipping. These light wines are made for days when you don’t want to think too hard about what you’re sipping, you just want to enjoy the heck out of it, and focus on your friends, your family, or even the show you’re in the middle of binging.
In the fight for supremacy between traditional reds vs chillable reds, it’s all about serving the right wine at the right time. Nail that, and even your fancy wine friends will appreciate these wines.
Shopping for Chillable Red Wine
Now for the fun stuff: knowing where to buy these fun, funky wines. Conventional red wines are available everywhere wine is sold, from your Targets to Costco, BevMo, and beyond. The boutique size of these producers means they have smaller distribution than the wines found in these retail outlets, so you’re going to have to look for these bottles in local bottle shops, or online.
Seek out chillable reds at your local wine shop, your local specialty grocer. Whole Foods actually carries a few brands that I love. I have spied Pax Wines there, Stolpman’s Love You Bunches and GDG, and Las Jaras Wines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Glou-Glou wine the same as chillable red wine?
Yes, here’s why. Glou-Glou is French for “glug-glug”, and glug-glug refers to a wine that you can drink easily, and has light, refreshing characteristics. Glou-Glou wines are usually served with a chill.
Can chillable red wine be stored at room temperature?
If you run out of space in your wine fridge, you can store chillable red wine at room temperature. Place the bottle in the refrigerator 2-3 hours before serving, so the wine can reach .
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