The term “vin de soif” in France refers to light wines, which are pleasant to drink due to their structure and alcohol content, and they easily flow in the mouth. They were once called easy drinking, but this term became synonymous with poor quality, and light wines fell into the shadow of the so-called meditation wines.
While meditation wines are typically full-bodied reds that need to be decanted before drinking, requiring time to savor and often pairing with structured meals, vin de soif presents the opposite occasions of use. Imagine coming home exhausted from traffic and a hot day. Why open a soda or beer when you have a refreshing and cool wine available to return to peace?
Low alcohol content
These wines fit into a trend already seen in the wine market. They represent a valid alternative to classic structured wines and meet the dietary and health needs that buyers increasingly consider.
As explained in a previous article on fermentation, light wines or vin de soif are typically young wines where fermentation is stopped early, around 4-7 days. This is a significant difference considering that full-bodied reds can take more than double that time. Consequently, alcohol production will be lower, and the taste will be softer and fruitier.
What are vin de soif?
It must be emphasized that young or light wines are not necessarily of poor or medium quality. They are excellent wines that often have an excellent price balance. As a general rule, wines with an alcohol content below 13% are considered light wines.
Rosés have a place of honor in this category. They are certainly easy to drink and, due to their organoleptic characteristics, are very pleasant on the palate with a welcoming and fruity bouquet. Just think of RosaMati 2022 from Fattoria Le Pupille and Visione Rosato 2022 from Feudi San Gregorio, which have won several international awards.
Another category includes wines produced with the ancestral method, also known as Pet-Nat, and sparkling wines like traditional Emilian wines (Pignoletto and Lambrusco, for example). On xtraWine, you will find a wide selection of these categories. Here, we highlight: Lambrusco Spumante Metodo Ancestrale Rosé Phermento 2022 from Medici Ermete and Spumante Brut Pignoletto 2020 from La Macina.
Finally, the most representative category of vin de soif, namely white wined. The selection available on our site is vast, but narrowing it down to vineyards typical of this type of product (Pagadebit, Bombino Bianco, Vernaccia, Vermentino, Malvasia, Moscato, and others), we recommend: Cantina Forlì Predappio Tratti D’Autore Pagadebit 2022, Tenute Perda Rubia Lanùra 2022, and Roeno Riesling Renano Collezione di Famiglia 2018.
