14 Low-Alcohol Wines for Hot Summer Days

As temperatures rise, sipping a high-alcohol wine is like rocking a wool sweater during a heat wave — not cool, in more ways than one. Alcohol has a dehydrating effect, making lower ABV drinks a better choice for quenching your thirst in warming months. 

But low alcohol doesn’t have to mean less flavor. Here are 14 refreshing pours with 5–12% ABV that can be enjoyed as an aperitif, or paired with the meals like barbecue, seafood, and fresh produce from the farmer’s market.

Villa M Sweet Red 

Piemonte, Italy

ABV: 5% 

There’s something about a fizzy, sweet red wine on a hot summer day that feels both grown-up and playful. Made from Brachetto, a red grape indigenous to northern Italy, this effervescent wine with juicy flavors of strawberry and ripe watermelon will remind you of a sweet Lambrusco. 

Ceretto I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano Moscato d’Asti 2022

Piemonte, Italy

ABV: 5.5%

This unabashedly sweet wine is absolute ambrosia, beautifully showcasing the natural sugars of Moscato Bianco grapes from Piemonte. As luscious as ripe and juicy summer peaches, vibrant acidity keeps it from being cloying.

Three Brothers Wineries Cosmic Rosé

Finger Lakes, NY

ABV: 6% 

While counting down to the next cosmic phenomenon, raise a glass of this limited-edition rosé that celebrates the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse that blanketed this wine region in upstate New York. A blend of Barbera and Sauvignon Blanc, Cosmic is a light-bodied, pale pink wine with strawberry, cantaloupe, blood orange, and plum notes. Cosmic is part of the winery’s Women of Distinction wine series and was inspired by race and gender barrier-breaking NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson. 

Mas La Chevaliere Laroche Le Petit Chardonnay 2022 

Languedoc, France 

ABV: 9.5% 

Sweltering days are not always the best for a big, oaky, buttery Chardonnay. Instead, try this svelte and light-bodied expression from the south of France, which features sunny flavors of lemon, lime, kiwi, and chamomile.

Osmosis Red Blend 2021 

Mendoza, Argentina

ABV: 10%

It’s almost hard to believe this blend of Syrah, Bonarda, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon is low in alcohol. Medium-bodied with silky tannins, it shows vibrant notes of black cherry, plum, pomegranate, alongside hibiscus with pops of spice and vanilla. This wine is a great match for barbecue. 

Lakewood Vineyards Bubbly Candeo 2022

Finger Lakes, New York

ABV: 10.6%

It’s hard to top Lakewood’s description of their Bubbly Candeo: “When Champagne is too much and beer not enough.” This off-dry carbonated white wine may remind you of Prosecco, but Bubbly Candeo is made from Cayuga White, a French-American hybrid grape developed at Cornell University. It is a New York charmer with notes of citrus, apple, and a hint of pineapple. 

Serres Ranch Bleusé

Sonoma County, California

ABV: 11% 

Planning a picnic? Pack your cooler with these cute cans of carbonated wine made from Aleatico, an ancient Italian red grape variety that the Serres family grows on their Sonoma ranch. The grapes are co-fermented with blueberries also grown by the producers, to create a fruity, but not too sweet, sip. The taste of freshly picked blueberries shines through the fizzy bubbles and makes it clear why it was cheekily named Bleusé. 

Trivento White Malbec Reserve 2023 

Mendoza, Argentina

ABV: 11%

Argentina’s flagship red wine needs no introduction, but Trivento’s white wine vinification of the grape is like meeting Malbec for the first time. Almost colorless in the bottle, it’s crisp and slightly tart with notes of fresh red cherry, raspberry, and green apple. 

Macari Vineyards Horses Sparkling Cabernet Franc 

North Fork, Long Island

ABV: 11.4% 

Cabernet Franc is on everyone’s radar these days, and this fizzy rosé from the North Fork of Long Island shows its flirtier side without sacrificing elegance. Vivacious with delicate yet snappy bubbles, its strawberry, raspberry, and blood orange notes make this pétillant-naturel sparkler a warm-weather winner.

Loimer Lois Grüner Veltliner 2022 

Niederösterreich, Kamptal, Austria

ABV: 11.5% 

Complexity and approachability are in delicious harmony with this elegant expression of Austrian Grüner Veltliner.  Grapefruit and pineapple notes are enhanced by hints of white pepper and cardamom. This sophisticated white wine is an intriguing medley of sweet, salty, and tart flavors with crackling acidity.

WillaKenzie Éclatant Brut 2019

Yamhill-Carlton, Oregon

ABV: 11.5%

If you’re celebrating a special occasion this summer, splurge on some fancy bubbly. A blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier, this traditional method sparkling wine from the northern part of Oregon’s Willamette Valley is lithe and lively with delicate bubbles and fresh citrus and pear flavors.

C.L. Butaud Carbonic Counoise 2021 

Fredericksburg, Texas 

ABV: 11.6% 

This carbonic macerated wine is made in the style of Beaujolais but using Counoise, a red grape with roots in the south of France that’s known for its fruity and spicy character. An easy-drinking fresh red with soft tannins that delivers notes of raspberry, plum, white pepper, licorice, and clove, it’s best enjoyed slightly chilled.

J. Lohr Bay Mist White Riesling 2023

Arroyo Seco, Monterey, California 

ABV: 12% 

A darling of sommeliers worldwide, Riesling is a chameleon that can be shaped into countless styles. On a sticky summer day, this carefree and quaffable wine from California makes chilling out a breeze. It’s slightly sweet with juicy flavors of peach, pear, ripe golden apple, and a kiss of sea mist.

Pierre & Antonin Nature’s Revenge 2023 

Carcassonne, France

ABV: 12% 

Why choose between rosé and sparkling wine when you can have both? Made in the ancient low-tech pétillant-naturel style, this fizzy Grenache rosé from the south of France is crisp and elegant. Vibrant flavors of wild berries, watermelon, raspberry, and juicy peach tie this easy-drinking wine together.