Light red wines for spring drinking

Can wine ever be good for you? The question has surely occurred to most of us after a night on the chȃteau de migraine, especially if we’ve read the increasingly dire warnings on alcohol consumption. Still, as with chocolate, a lot depends on what type of alcohol you drink. After all, a 90% cocoa solids situation is probably going to do less harm than, say, a family tub of Celebrations, and, while all alcohol is, I hate to break it to you, alcohol, there are definitely better choices you can make.

Red wine, for example, contains more heart-protecting polyphenols than white wine does, as well as a richer variety of minerals. But it needs to be young, not too tannic and not too sweet, either. It should also be low-alcohol (about 12.5% ABV, say) and ideally drunk with food. You should also seek out unusual grape varieties, too, not least to increase your variety of gut microflora. This, at least, is the counsel of Dr Tim Spector, who swears by two glasses a day.

So the health-conscious oenophile has a fair bit to work with. A sprightly beaujolais seems the obvious choice, luscious Sicilian frappato the hipster alternative, and cooler climate pinots offer another avenue altogether. But the spiritual home of what we might term “health wines” lies in the fragrant valleys of the Loire, a region of temperate gardens, grand chateaux and lazy river views. The Loire is most celebrated for its whites (pouilly-fumé, sancerre, vouvray …), but increasingly I find myself gravitating towards the area’s light, elegant, youthful reds, not least because they are perfect for early spring drinking.

The Loire is France’s longest river, stretching 1,000km from the Massif Central to the Atlantic, and its wines are, naturally, varied as a result. Near the source of the river are pockets of high-altitude gamay, the lively, fruity grape that makes beaujolais such a fun date. In the Centre-Val de Loire, meanwhile, the conditions are ideal for pinot noir, which has the additional health benefit of being much cheaper than nearby Burgundy.

Then there are the 100% cabernet franc wines grown around Tours, where appellations to look out for are Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil and Chinon, the favourite of the original bon viveur, Rabelais. Cabernet franc is not the most assertive grape, but at its best it makes wonderfully fresh, succulent, grown-up wines, with heady strawberry and violet aromas giving way to a savoury, slaking dryness. You’ll often find it served in bistros by the carafe, where it solves all food-matching quandaries by going with just about everything. If nothing else, it’s great for the soul.

Four light reds for spring drinking

Domaine de la Noblaie Chinon Le Temps de Cerises 2024 £13.50 The Wine Society, 12.5%. Tastes like the world waking up, and takes well to chilling.

Domaine Mabileau Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil 2023/24 £18 (£16 on ‘mix-six’) Majestic, 12.5%. Another 100% cabernet franc from an underrated corner of France.

Domaine Jean Teiller Menetou-Salon Rouge 2023 £21.95 Yapp Brothers, 14.5%. A supremely supple pinot from one of the best Loire importers.

Alte Vogtei Zu Ravensburg Pinot Noir 2024 £8.99 Lidl, 12.5%. A steal of a German spӓtburgunder: fresh, tangy, elegant.