What is the smoothest drinking red wine?

My usual go-tos though are light reds like Beaujolais, pinot noir and cabernet franc-based wines from the Loire region of France but follow the ‘chill it down’ rule and it massively increases your options. Other good value for money reds that tick the summer drinking box are Mencia from northern Spain, Austria’s Zweigelt and Frappato, Marzemino and Refosco from Italy - many Italian reds are made in a lighter style. Or - slightly pricier - Etna reds, Poulsard and Trousseau from the Jura and, of course, English reds, What you want to avoid, I would suggest, are mature oaky wines like old Bordeaux or gran reserva riojas as they lack the freshness to go with summer food. You can even - if your wine’s not too grand - pop an ice cube in your glass. Even what I refer to as ‘jammy’ reds - wines with a comparatively high level of residual sugar - taste better when they’re cooled down a bit. I recently went to a tasting of pinotage, South Africa’s signature grape variety (a cross between pinot noir and cinsault) where all the wines were served cool and it really helped to reduce the sensation of alcohol. 10 of the best value summer reds