The Best Red Wine Variety For White Wine Drinkers Ready To Try Something New

So you like white wine, but you haven't yet found the red wine variety that will make you a convert. It's not an unusual position. Wine can be overwhelming, and the crisp, lighter taste of white wine is often an easier entry point. But red wine has so much to offer, and so many foods it pairs well with, that you might wonder what you are missing out on. The good news is that you can train your palate over time — for wine or anything else — just by eating or drinking more of it. You just need an introductory wine that won't overwhelm you. Tasting Table asked Amy Racine, beverage director and partner with JF Restaurants, what red wines she'd recommend for people who like white.

Racine gave one easy guidepost, saying, "I think when switching over, tannin is the hurdle, not fruit." Tannins are the compounds in red wine, and white wine to a lesser extent, that produce that "dry" feeling in your mouth, along with bitterness and astringency. Tannins are primarily found in the skins and seeds of plants and fruit, which is why red wine, which is made with much more skin contact than white, has so much more of them. Racine told Tasting Table, "Someone who drinks Chablis or Sancerre knows acid and is used to a cooler temp. Gamay has bright acid, has low to no tannins, and it does very well with a few moments in the fridge."

If you aren't familiar with Gamay, you may have heard of it in another form, as the primary grape in the popular French wine Beaujolais, made in the region of the same name in Burgundy. Beyond being light in tannins, it's also intensely fruit-flavored, which can help make it more accessible. While it's most associated with Beaujolais, Gamay is an increasingly popular wine grape that is produced in many regions around the world.

If you are looking for a specific bottle, Amy Racine said, "I would go to Fleurie in Beaujolais because I think it's the most floral of the crus." Wines from the region may also be labeled Beaujolais, and not Gamay, but they both contain the grape. She also noted, "Anne-Sophie Dubois makes one called L'Alchimiste that I think is just benchmark and delicious." While Gamay is a great starting point for less-tannic red wines, it isn't the only option for a low-tannin variety of red wine. 

Pinot Noir is another thin-skinned red grape, and it has a similar fruit-forward flavor profile to Gamay. Grenache from California is also known for softer, fresher flavors that might appeal to fans of white wine. If you want to go a little beyond the most well-known options, Barbera from Italy is an affordable wine with a complex, acidic flavor that is easy drinking and low in tannins. In fact, you might actually be surprised just how many reds can help you bridge the gap.