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+--- Thread: looking for a type of wine I will like. (/thread-17863.html)
- meri1 - 04-04-2001
I am looking for a heavy, "thick," dark, sweet red wine. Something that is not light and vinegar-like, as most I have tried are. I have no idea what would fit my description. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!
- cpurvis - 04-05-2001
Welcome Meri1. First, sounds like you've described red dessert wines. Try a ruby port...whether you like it will depend on your definition of "sweet." A late harvest Zinfandel or late harvest merlot might also work for you, though they may be difficult to find dependin' on where you live. Also, check out the following site to gauge yer sweetness prefs:
http://www.wineontheweb.com/consumer_advice/thesugarsand/thesugarsand.html
Second, if you really mean fruity rather than "sweet", then we can direct you to a plethora of options. See this recent Board discussion for more understanding:
http://www.wines.com/ubb2/Forum37/HTML/000878.html
Finally, we might be able to help you past the "vinegar" to a more balanced experience of red wines if you tell us what you've tried.
cp
[This message has been edited by cpurvis (edited 04-04-2001).]
[This message has been edited by cpurvis (edited 04-04-2001).]
- Kcwhippet - 04-05-2001
Another option is Manischeivitz Concord Grape Wine. We're selling quite a bit in our shop this week before Passover. I tried this about 25 years ago - not since though.
- Blue - 04-05-2001
mmmmmmm
- winoweenie - 04-05-2001
I'll do a vertical on them when I get off my sabbatical. WW
- barnesy - 04-05-2001
When I saw this post, I also thought Port. But I thought LBV port.
Barnesy
- Drew - 04-05-2001
Try the '97 or '98 Zabacco Rancho "Heritage Vines" Zinfandael...thick, sweet and hedonistic.
Drew
- mrdutton - 04-05-2001
Wow, Drew...... I kinda was thinking that you and I had somewhat similar palates. But after reading your comment on Rancho Zabacco Zinfandel, I am not so sure.
Thick, fruity and hedonistic, yes. Sweet?
Are we talking about different wines here? Oh, I know. You were kidding!
Cpurvis, I took a look at the sweetness link you posted:
(www.wineontheweb.com/consumer_advice/thesugarsand/thesugarsand.html)
And I am not sure I can agree with the stated opinion. Two sugars equals Cru Beaujolais. I take one to two sugars in my coffee everyday. Cru Beajolais is no way that sweet. It is a light to medium bodied wine with lots of very nice up-front fruit on the nose and the palate. However, I am hard pressed to find the sugar!! It sure does not taste sweet to me.
Additionally, the article makes no mention at all of the very fine light to medium bodied red wines from the Rhone, or the wonderful "Rhone-like" blends available from California and Australia (Like Ca del Sol Big House Red, Cline Cotes du Oakley, Rosemount GSM to name a few).
All of the above mentioned reds are dry but present so much fruit to the palate, IMHO, that they may "tend" to taste sweet.
I have to agree with Roberto in the posting you noted:
www.wines.com/ubb2/Forum37/HTML/000878.html
The last time I tasted vinegar in a wine, I threw it down the drain because it was no good. There is a whole lot of difference between vinegar and dry wine, for sure.
Hopefully the person tasting the wine was tasting some acid along with some tannin and was confusing vinegar with the zing from acid and the astringency from the tannin. But we'll not know that until we get a reply listing the reds that were sampled.
Heavy, thick, dark red, sweet wines? Sounds like Port to me..... eh Barnsey?
And that is my opinion on the subject....
- Drew - 04-05-2001
Mike, I just used the term "sweet" instead of fruit because I think that's what Meri is trying to convey. It was easier than 10 paragraphs on the residual sugar=sweet tasting=fruit topic. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]
Drew
- mrdutton - 04-05-2001
Oh, I knew that! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]
- cpurvis - 04-06-2001
MrD, I know that the sweetness article I ref'd isn't the definitive guide...Roberto's comment makes more sense to those of us w/ some tastin' experience. I agree that it doesn't try to sort out the fruitiness/sweetness issue. However, it's definitely in layman's terms & isn't a bad starting point for someone relatively new to the world of wine as I presume Meri1 to be.
Meri1, I still say start w/ port, try to find a couple of late harvest reds, then let us lead you into the wonderful world of full-bodied, fruity reds. There are some excellent choices under $20 in all these categories. cp
- mrdutton - 04-06-2001
CP, you are correct. I was not thinking along those lines.
But I'd like to suggest that we try to start MERI1 on the way to enjoying red wines with the light to medium bodied stuff and then head toward the full bodied fruit bombs!!