Dusseldorf, Germany - Light, red wines from temperate areas are currently in vogue, according to organizers of a Dusseldorf wine trade show.

Vineyards in cool regions produce fine, aromatic red wines with a maximum of 13 per cent alcohol per volume. In cooler climates, sugar is slower to accumulate in the grape leading to a low alcohol content.

In many European countries, wine of this sort has been produced for centuries, organizers of the trade show said. But in non-European countries that have a hot and dry climate, vines are being cultivated in mountainous regions or in valleys that are cooled by a sea breeze. Examples are Walker Bay in South Africa and Chile's Casablanca Valley.

The image of cool climate wines has been transformed in recent decades, said vineyard professor Hans-Rainer Schultz of a Wiesbaden technical college. Thirty years ago, a cool climate description for wine amounted to an insult. (dpa)