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+--- Thread: Quesitons about sweet wines. (/thread-19228.html)
- aprilh070203 - 07-29-2003
Hello all. I have a few questions. I've recently turned 21 and have a desire to start drinking wines. However, I'm funny in the sense that I can't stand the common bitter taste that accompanies any alcohol. So I look for things with an excpetionally sweet flavor to them. I've only found 1 I like so far, and I got it from a guest vendor, and no one in town carries it. It was Mogen David Blush Red Concord. It was pink in color, and tasted wonderful. So I live in this small town in south GA, and no one that works in the grocery stores or liquer stores, knows anything about what their selling and how it tastes unless it's beer or hard liquer. So they're no help. And I get confused by what the bottles say. I saw one today that claimed to have a light oak flavor. Sorry, call me ignorant, but I've never bit into a tree, so I have no idea what that's supposed to mean. And all the bottles say what kind of foods to serve it with, but I want something that I can sit down with a glass of wine and enjoy it by itself without having to cook dinner at two in the morning after coming home from a restaurant. I hope that someone here can offer me some advice, because I'm lost. So now that I've rambled on aimlessly, and probably iritated most of you with my lack of knowledge, I plan to send this and hope that someone can offer some guidance. Thanks.
- dananne - 07-29-2003
Hi, and welcome to the board.
You may want to visit your local store or supermarket and take a look to see if you can find a Beringer white zinfandel. From what I've heard, it's a bit sweet and sounds as if it may appeal to you. Also, you may look for a Lambrusco. You should be able to find that, too. Others may have some additional suggestions.
Again, welcome!
- tandkvd - 07-29-2003
April, I am not mutch of a white wine drinker and my wife rarely finds a wine she likes. But we both like this one. It is sweet and smooth and great with light foods or buy itself. We had a bottle tonight with ham and potatos.
http://www.wines.com/ubb2/Forum21/HTML/000131.html
[This message has been edited by tandkvd (edited 07-29-2003).]
- aprilh070203 - 07-29-2003
Thank you guys so much for answering. I did have another question though. Do the same wines from different brands taste different. I've tried a white zinfadel before that was supposed to taste like strawberries. I love strawberries but I didn't care for this one at all. So I just never tried another one. Is it wrong to assume that just because I didn't like this zinfandel, that I won't like any of them?
- JagFarlane - 07-29-2003
Every brand is going to taste different...many factors go into the taste of the wines...even as insignificant as it may seem, the soil. So basically, you can sample different brands, and it'll pretty much all taste a bit different. As for a sweet wine, I would also recommend sampling some Rieslings, they are generally sweet enough to cover the alcohol taste.
- curious - 07-29-2003
you are not alone in coming here with a total lack of knowledge about wine. Yours truly is still at a loss [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img] .
Ask away your questions you will find many here who can help you. However, what I have found very helpful here is the archives. Just type in your topic and you will find a slew of answers.
I have had the same problem in the alcohol taste, but I have found that in sparkling wines, it is less overpowering. I can enjoy a glass of bubbly, and am trusting that I will find others types that I will enjoy as much.
As to your other question of different brands, our (hubby and I) one of our first wines was a zin from Sutter's, and we hated it. Tried later on a zin from Gallio, and it was acceptable for me, he really enjoyed it.
Keep exploring, and have fun.
Janette
- aprilh070203 - 07-30-2003
Okay, so I had an exceptionally good day at work today (being a waitress, that equals more money for me) and decided to stop off and try something new. This time the store owner was actually there, and I told him that I wanted something exceptionally sweet. (I do think you all for your recomendations, but I have tried a Spatlese and a Reisling once before, both brought from Germany by my parent-in-laws, and didn't care for them, and I wasn't ready to try another zinfandel yet.) So he took me straight to a bottle of Moscato D'Asti I think it is. So I brought it home, popped the cork, which my husband always says is bad to do, and tried it. And it's wonderful. I was planning on going out with the girls tonight, but I might just stay home with this and a good book.
To make a long story short, since this is carbonated (I'm not sure if it's classified as Champagne or Sparkling Wine. For some reason, I'm having trouble grasping the difference other than where they come from.), so does that mean that it won't be good for more than a day or two? Or is it something that I can store in the fridge and drink a little more in another week?
Thank you all again. You guys are a great help.
- Georgie - 07-30-2003
Since you liked the Moscato, try some Prosecco. I've had bottles from several different makers and I've loved them all.
- JagFarlane - 07-30-2003
Asti is actually an Italian form of Champagne, Sparkling Wine is the Californian version.
- Innkeeper - 07-30-2003
You are dead wrong Jag. Champagne only comes from Champagne. All other sparkling wines are sparkling wines, or wines by their own name (not to include Champagne).
- curious - 07-30-2003
Isn't Asti a sparkling wine? That is the type that I have found I like best.
I'm not trying to start a fight here, just curious, and want to know.
I know that "True" Champagne comes only from Champagne France, but couldn't something like Asti be similar? It's not the same, but a subcatagory. The only way I can think to explain what I am perceiving it as is a comparrision of dogs. Shelties (Shetland Sheepdogs) and Collies are similar, but are not the same breed. Shelties are not even miniture collies, they just have a common ancestor.
Have I just muddied the water more?
Help me and our newbie understand this, okay?
Janette (curious)
- Kcwhippet - 07-31-2003
Prosecco is the name of a grape and it is used to produce a sparkling wine in Italy. Asti is the name of a region, a town and a sparkling wine called Asti Spumante made from Moscato grapes. Moscato d' Asti is a lower alcohol (usually 5% to 7.5%), and a less carbonated (called frizzante) version of a sparkling wine made in Asti. There are also some wonderful sparkling wines from Spain called Cavas. Segura Viudas makes a line of nice QPR versions.