Best Wine for Non-Wine Drinkers: 8 Crowd-Pleasers

Most people who say they don’t like wine have had the wrong wine. They got handed a tannic Cabernet at someone’s dinner party, or a cheap Pinot Grigio at a work function, and that was enough to write off the whole category. That’s like deciding you hate pasta because you once had bad canned spaghetti.

There are wines that taste nothing like what put you off. Off-dry Riesling tastes like peach and lime with a hint of honey. Moscato d’Asti is fizzy, sweet, and low in alcohol. Good rosé drinks like a cold afternoon. None of these ask much of you.

These eight bottles are the ones that actually convert people. Every one has been picked because it removes the most common objections: too bitter, too dry, too alcoholic, too complicated. Start with the one that sounds least scary, and work from there.

1. Eroica Riesling 2024 (Off-dry white)

Riesling is the wine that wine people actually recommend to friends who don’t drink wine. Eroica is off-dry: a touch of sweetness balanced by fresh acidity, so it’s neither cloying nor sharp. Think peach, lime zest, and a faint honeyed edge, all in a bottle that works with food rather than fighting it. The wine taste here is fruit-forward and gentle, without the bitter or alcoholic edge that puts many people off their first sip.

This is a Washington-German collaboration between Chateau Ste. Michelle and Germany’s Dr. Loosen, two producers who’ve been making Riesling for decades. The result is a wine that drinks like a European Riesling, which means lower alcohol (around 12%) and more focus on flavour than heat. Pair it with Thai curries (the sweetness counteracts the heat), roast pork, or just on its own in the hour before dinner. If you’ve ever thought wine was too harsh, this bottle is the counterargument.

2. Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio 2024 (Crisp white)

If Riesling sounds too sweet, Pinot Grigio is the opposite: dry, crisp, and clean. Santa Margherita is the version in every restaurant wine list for a reason. Green apple, lemon, a hint of mineral freshness, and nothing aggressive about it. It drinks like a cold glass of something straightforward.

Serve it straight from the fridge and pair it with garden salads, a light pasta, or anything involving cheese. This is the wine that sits quietly in the background, makes everything taste better, and never demands your attention. For a non-drinker who prefers clean, refreshing flavors over sweetness, this is the starting point.

3. Chateau d’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé 2024 (Dry rosé)

Rosé gets a bad reputation from White Zinfandel, which is sweet and pink and something else entirely. Whispering Angel is Provence rosé: dry, pale salmon, and tasting of peach skin, white flowers, and a chalky mineral finish. It’s the bottle that converted an entire generation of people who thought they didn’t drink rosé.

James Suckling scored it 92 points. The tasting notes include peach skin, white flowers, and a long chalky finish that stays dry. It works for summer lunch, as an aperitif before dinner, or alongside a cheese board. It’s also the easiest wine to hand to someone who doesn’t know what they want: almost nobody turns it down. If you’ve been burned by overly sweet pink wines before, this is the reset button.

4. Damilano Moscato d’Asti 2024 (Sweet sparkling)

This is the gentlest possible entry into wine. Moscato d’Asti from Piedmont is lightly fizzy, genuinely sweet, and low in alcohol (around 5.5%). It tastes like peach, orange blossom, and honey, and it’s cold and refreshing straight from the fridge.

Damilano is a reliable Piedmont producer, and this is the perfect bottle to pour when someone says they don’t like wine. It pairs with fresh fruit, light desserts, or brunch. It also works as a standalone glass in warm weather. If you like fruit juices or sparkling lemonade, Moscato d’Asti sits in that same comfortable territory. Zero tannin, no harshness, nothing bitter.

5. Mionetto Sergio Lambrusco Reggiano Dolce NV (Sweet sparkling red)

Lambrusco is for when you want something red but every red wine you’ve tried has been dry, tannic, and rough on your palate. It’s lightly sparkling, genuinely sweet, and made from Lambrusco grapes in northern Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. Think cherry, plum, and fresh berry with a soft fizz that keeps everything lively.

Mionetto’s Dolce is the sweet style, not the dry one. Pour it cold and pair it with pizza, cured meats, or charcuterie. The bubbles and acidity stop it feeling heavy, and the sweetness stays cheerful. Wine Enthusiast scored it 88 points. If red wine has always felt too heavy and serious, this one earns its place at the casual end of the spectrum. Great for anyone who enjoys sweet, fizzy flavors without any of the grippy dryness.

6. Apothic Red Winemaker’s Blend NV (Semi-sweet red)

Apothic Red is one of the most popular red wines in the United States, and there’s a reason it keeps showing up at parties and in wine sections at the supermarket. It’s a California red blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon that leans into dark fruit: blackberry, mocha, and a hint of vanilla from American oak. Medium-bodied, smooth, and the finish stays soft.

The sweetness is moderate. Noticeably sweeter than a standard dry red, but nowhere near dessert territory. It picks up 4.4 stars from thousands of verified customer reviews. For someone who’s always found dry red wine too much, this lands in the right zone: unmistakably wine, without the tannin grip that puts off newcomers. Pair it with burgers, pizza, dark chocolate, or anything from the barbecue. Take a sip and you’ll see why it’s one of the most popular entry points into red wine drinking.

7. Sur de los Andes Reserva Pinot Noir 2022 (Light red)

If you want to cross over into proper dry red wine, Pinot Noir is where to start. It has the lowest tannin of any major red grape, which means the drying, grippy sensation that puts many people off red wine is minimal here. Sur de los Andes is a Patagonian Pinot Noir with clean red cherry fruit and a silky finish. Wilfred Wong scored it 93, James Suckling 92, and 60-plus customers rate it 4.4 stars.

Serve it slightly cool (15 minutes in the fridge helps) and pair with roast chicken, grilled salmon, or a mushroom risotto. If someone hands you a glass of this and you still don’t like red wine, red wine probably isn’t your style. That’s useful information too. Pinot Noir is widely considered the best variety to try first for anyone coming to red wine without prior experience.

8. BenMarco Malbec 2022 (Medium red)

Malbec is the step up from Pinot Noir: more body, darker fruit, slightly more presence in the glass. Argentina’s Uco Valley Malbec from BenMarco is the version worth knowing. James Suckling gave it 93 points; Vinous 91, Wine Spectator 90. Plum, blackberry, cocoa, and a velvety texture that makes it easier to drink than most dry reds at this price.

The tannins are soft because high-altitude Argentine Malbec ripens slowly and develops smooth tannin structure. This is the bottle for someone who’s open to red wine territory and wants something approachable but not sweet. Pair with grilled lamb, steak, a charcuterie board, or beef empanadas.

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How We Chose These Wines

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Frequently Asked Questions

What wine should I try if I don’t like wine?

The best wines for people who dont like wine are Moscato d’Asti and off-dry Riesling. Both are easy to drink, low in alcohol, and easy on the palate. They taste nothing like the dry, bitter wines that typically put people off. If you’ve tried wine before and found it too harsh, the problem was the style, not wine itself. Sweet or off-dry whites remove most of the barriers at once. These are also the best picks for beginners who’ve never found a wine they enjoy.

People who dont like wine often gravitate toward styles that don’t have a strong taste of alcohol, and that’s exactly where Moscato and Riesling sit. The taste of wine from these varieties is more like fruit than booze. They’re a good wine for people who are skeptical about the whole category: accessible enough that you don’t need to acquire a taste for anything. Start there and work your way across the spectrum once you find a flavor profile you’re comfortable with.

What is the sweetest wine for someone new to drinking?

Moscato d’Asti is the sweetest option on this list: lightly fizzy, genuinely sweet, and only around 5.5% alcohol by volume. Lambrusco Dolce is the sweet red equivalent: sparkling, cherry-forward, and served cold. If you want something sweet but not sparkling, an off-dry Riesling like Eroica gives you fruit sweetness balanced by fresh acidity. All three are far gentler than a glass of typical dry wine. Our best Moscato wine roundup covers the sweetest end of this spectrum in detail.

Does rosé taste sweet?

Dry rosé, like Provence-style Whispering Angel, is bone dry: pale, mineral, with an aroma that leans toward peach skin, white flowers, and fresh herbs. The wine tasting descriptors you’ll see on the label, words like “crisp” and “dry”, are accurate. The confusion comes from White Zinfandel, which is pink, sweet, and something else entirely. That style put a lot of people off rosé for years, but Provence-style bottles are a completely different experience.

A good way to guide your choice is to think about whether you enjoy cranberry juice (tart, refreshing) or grape juice (sweet, fruity). Dry rosé sits closer to the cranberry juice side. If you want something sweeter, try a rosé labelled “sweet” or “off-dry”. Wine tasting notes for Provence rosé often mention fresh red fruit and a mineral finish, which is quite far from the syrupy pink wines many people have experienced.

Is wine an acquired taste?

Wine in general, yes: dry, tannic, complex wine often takes time to appreciate. But there are good wines for people who are new to wine drinking, specifically Moscato, Riesling, and soft Lambrusco, and these styles are designed to be immediately likeable. If alcohol itself is the sticking point, our best non-alcoholic wines list covers the dealcoholized side of the same idea. Most wine lovers who started with Moscato d’Asti didn’t need to acquire a taste for it. They just liked it straight away.

The acquired taste reputation mostly applies to dry, structured wines like aged Bordeaux or heavily oaked Chardonnay. Light wine styles and sweeter bottles don’t carry that reputation. If you’ve been putting off trying wine because you assume you won’t like it, start with a lighter white wine or a sweet sparkling style before drawing any conclusions about the whole category.

What are the best wine varieties for non-wine drinkers?

There are several different wine varieties worth knowing about as a starting point. Each one has a distinct profile:

Moscato (Muscat): Sweet, low-alcohol, lightly sparkling. The most approachable white varietal on this list. Damilano’s Moscato d’Asti comes from Piedmont, Italy, where producers at the winery have been perfecting this style for generations. The grape, also known as Muscat or Muscat Blanc, produces wines with an intensely floral aroma and peach-forward flavour.

Riesling: Off-dry Riesling from Washington or Germany is a standout beginner wine. Dry versions of Riesling do exist and can be very complex, but the off-dry style is far more accessible. The Loire Valley in France also produces excellent fresh whites from different wine varieties including Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadet.

Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris: The same grape, two different styles. Pinot Grigio from Italy is crisp and dry. Pinot Gris from Alsace, France, is richer and sometimes off-dry. Both are lower in tannin than any red wine and easy to enjoy without experience.

Rosé blends: Grenache from Spain and southern France is a key grape in many rosé blends. If you tend to gravitate more towards white wines but want to try something pink, Provence rosé is your bridge.

Albariño: A Spanish white from Galicia, Spain. Bright citrus, stone fruit, and low tannin. Great for people who want something dry but refreshing. Albariño (also spelled Albarino) is a high-acid, food-friendly varietal that pairs well with seafood.

What about fruit wines, fortified wines, or other sweet options?

If you’ve tried standard wine and found it too much, a few other categories are worth knowing about. Fruit wines are made from berries, peaches, or other fruits rather than grapes, and tend to be sweeter and lower in tannin. They’re a good gateway for people who are working towards a sweet wine style without the typical wine characteristics.

Fortified wines like Port or Madeira are made by adding spirit to stop fermentation, leaving residual sugar. They’re sweeter and higher in alcohol than table wine, so they’re more like sipping something between a wine and a cocktail. Dessert wine styles like Sauternes are similarly sweet and concentrated, produced from grapes affected by noble rot.

For people who want something familiar, sweeter alcoholic beverages like hard cider or sparkling wine made from Champagne-method grapes are worth trying. Brands like Sutter Home make sweet white versions that sit closer to a fruit juice than a dry wine. These are all valid starting points. The goal is finding what you actually enjoy drinking, and there’s no rule that says you have to start with dry table wine.

What food pairs best with wine for a non-wine drinker?

The easiest pairings for a first bottle involve a meal with a complementary flavour profile. Off-dry Riesling with a touch of spice pairs very well with Thai, Indian, or any dish that uses chili heat: the slight sweetness of the wine cools the heat down. Moscato works with fresh fruit, light desserts, and brunch. Rosé handles a cheese board, grilled shrimp, or anything summery.

For red wines, Lambrusco is great with pizza and charcuterie. Apothic Red is built for burgers and dark chocolate. If you want to try a red with especially red meats like steak or lamb, start with BenMarco Malbec. The soft tannins work well with fat and protein in the meat, and the dark red fruit in the wine matches well with those flavors.

As a general rule: white wines with lighter food, red wines with richer food. Hints of dried herbs in a wine (common in Grenache and some rosés) tend to match well with Mediterranean cooking.

What should I know about wine before my first tasting?

A few basics help make wine tasting more approachable. Alcohol by volume (ABV) is printed on every label: anything below 12% is low, 13-14% is standard, above 14.5% is high. Sweeter styles like Moscato d’Asti sit around 5.5% ABV, while a full-bodied red wine like Barossa Shiraz might hit 15%.

Acids in wine give it brightness and freshness. A wine high in acids tastes clean and food-friendly. The sweetness of wine comes from residual sugar left after fermentation. Low residual sugar means dry; high residual sugar means sweet. Phenolic content in wine, which includes tannins, affects that drying, grippy sensation you get from red wine, and especially from wines with slightly higher alcohol content and more structure.

When you visit a winery, vineyard tasting room, or wine shop, don’t be afraid to ask what’s easy to drink. Most wine staff know what to recommend to someone who’s new to the category. If you’re going to wines from different regions, there will be differences in style: the same grape from Spain, France, and Australia can taste quite different depending on the terroir and the winemaker’s approach. That variation is part of what makes wine interesting once you’ve got a few bottles under your belt.

Is it worth spending more money on wine as a non-drinker?

For the best wines for non-wine drinkers, you don’t need to shop in the premium tier. The $15 to $25 range is where the best value sits. Once you’ve worked through a few of these bottles, identified what you like, and found the right wine style for your palate, you’ll have a clearer idea of where to spend more. For now, every new wine on this list sits in a range where quality is consistent and you don’t need to overpay to get something great. Check a wine shop in your area or order online.