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+--- Thread: Dry, Medium, Sweet, Crisp, Heavy???? Argh! (/thread-16642.html)
- musicalhamster - 06-28-2005
Hi. I work in an off-license that sells a lot of wine in an affluent area. I know a little bit about which wines are dry, medium etc... I want to know much better what is waht! Also, we have a new girl who i happen to know. She knows nothing about wine and wants an idiots list of which wine is which.
Basically, if I give you a list of wines, can people please rate them for me? Reds on heaviness (1 to 5, 5 being heaviest) and whites on dryness (1 to 5, 5 being driest, 3 being a medium, and 1 being sweet). I would be extremely grateful.
Thanks, Simon
By the way, I realise that there are variations between vintages etc, but if a general idea could be given by the rating, that would be great.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Shiraz
Pinot Noir
Merlot
Chianti
Beaujolais
Rioja
Pinotage
Valpolicella
Chateauneuf du Pape
Sauvignon Blanc
Chardonnay
Chablis
Riesling
Chardonnay-Semillon
Frascati
Colombard
Pinot Grigio
White Rioja
Chenin Blanc
Soave
Sancerre
- Drew - 06-29-2005
Hello Simon. A better descriptor for reds would be Light, Medium or Full Bodied and not Heaviness. Generally (in the most broadest sense) Cabs, Shiraz, Merlot, Rioja, Pinotage, Valpolicella and CDP are usually medium to full bodied with Chianti, Beaujolais and Pinot Noir light to medium bodied...BUT any wine can be made in any style. As for dryness, the term "dry" refers to the sugar being converted totally to alcohol. Off dry and semi-sweet refer to some residual sugar remaining after fermentation. Most wines are vinified dry but many in a fruity style that mimics sweetness. Long story short, there is no direct answer to your question...hope this helps.
Drew
- wineguruchgo - 06-29-2005
Hi Musical!
Welcome to the wineboard. Drew touched on an important part of wine making/consumming. Each winery will have it's own style so it's hard to lump them into a catagory. Think of a paint store. How many different shades of blue are there? Hundreds!
You are in luck though. Here is a link of a brief description of each wine. Also, I would suggest that you do a google search on each particular wine. Many wineries have their own websites.
Something that is easy for novices to understand when talking about body style is comparing it to milk. Light body would be fat free milk, medium is milk that would have some fat (2%) and heavy body will be whole milk. It's the weight of the wine in your mouth. Regular milk feels fuller and heavier in your mouth than fat free milk does.
Heres the link - hope it helps:
http://wines.com/wine_education.html