Least tannic red wines

Pinot gris are fairly acidic. So it may not be that that bothers you.

OTOH in the title indicates you are concerned about tannins.

If you remove the tannins and the acid, you are left with mostly water and a little sugar. A little like a diet drink, but not as good... ;-)

Reds may bother you because of histamines, but intolerance is not usually a stomach issue.

Low tannin wines are things like lambrusco and beaujolais. Low acid wines include whites that have undergone malolactic fermentation (when they should not have).

Not sure what to suggest.

I've had a couple of hybrid reds called Baco Noir and Chambourcin which are not tannic at all. Their acid levels tend to vary with the vintage and grower, and because these are from hybrid grapes, they're not always easy to find. I don't know where you live, but see if there are any local wineries in your area that produce either of these varietals.

Dan-O (Likes 'em both)

A tragedy indeed!

From your post it isn't clear exactly what the problem is. Your subject line refers to tannins and your body to acidity. These are different issues.

Merlot, for example, is often low acidity. Sometimes it has little tannins, other times more.

If it really is low tannins you want, Chianti can be low in tannins. Beaujolais is usually low in tannins.

Asking your local knowledgeable wine merchant is usually a good idea!

If it has to be Italian, I think you could do with Barbera if you are looking for a red wine which is not high in tannins.

Non-pretentious wines from Nero d'Avola can also fit your need, for Nero d'Avola is typically interesting, with spicy notes and not big tannins, all in a rounded style. Same with Cerasuolo de Vittoria (typically Nero d'Avola and Frappato). IMHO, wines from Sicily are very versatile to go with many Italian dishes, they are not that expensive (save the top cuvées, which I often like not that much).

You may also want to explore Rioja, specially those made in a more classic style. For example, López de Heredia Viña Cubillo is typically an interesting red with not that much tannin.

If your problem is with histamines, or with added sulphur at the time of bottling, looking for somewhat aged wines can help. Viña Cubillo current release is 2005 so it is usually quite a digestive wine IMHO.

s.

Several points:

1. Italian food, like the food of almost all countries, is very varied. Some of it is big and rich, for example steak, and other dishes are very light, such as the lighter kinds of fish.

Red wine might be best with steaks and other big dishes (whether Italian or not), but it might be very inappropriate for things like the lighter fish dishes (whether Italian or not), where a white would be more appropriate.

1. Your subject line says "Least tannic," but in the body of your message you ask which are "least acidic." Tannin and acid are two different things, so you should be sure you know which you mean.

1. Chardonnay and Pinot Gris (and almost all white wines) are almost never tannic. Whether they are acidic or not depends on the particular wine--things like the region where it was grown, the winery, the vintage, etc. Some are acidic and some are not, so if it is acid that you are sensitive to, some of these whites can be just as bad as (or worse than) reds.

2. Good wine, whether red or wine, is never acidic (by that I mean that the taste of acid doesn't predominate). Good wine has a balance in taste between acid and fruit.

1. There are many exceptions, but in general, cheaper wines will be less tannic, and in many cases less acidic too. And if you are drinking more expensive red wines, they often start out being more tannic, but will become less tannic as they get older.

1. Good wine, whether red or wine, is never acidic (by that I mean

You might try an old home remedy to ease your acid stomach: try eating a quarter cup or so of sauerkraut. After all, the Germans drink a lot of beer and acid stomach is something they have had to deal with for a long time.

I've tried it and it works (tastes better with sausage, but it works plain too).