+- WineBoard (https://www.wines.com/wineboard)
+-- Forum: GENERAL (https://www.wines.com/wineboard/forum-100.html)
+--- Forum: For the Novice (https://www.wines.com/wineboard/forum-2.html)
+--- Thread: Sweet Wines (/thread-19468.html)
- Gator - 11-06-2007
I'm new to wines, but interested in particular taste. I would like to know what wines have a sweet taste to them and not bitter. The only wine that I have tried, is the wild vines (zinfandel). I want something similar in test. can someone send me in the right direction on how do you determine the different tastes
- Innkeeper - 11-06-2007
Hi Gator, and welcome to the Wine Board. One of the best taste instructors I know of is Andrea Immer Robinson. Her book "Great Wines Made Simple" makes this an easy and enjoyable task. It is widely available in hard and paperback, new and used.
For white wine both Riesling and Chenin Blanc come in various shades of sweet. For reds the Italian Lambrusco is most easily found. Ask your retailer to guide you through selections of these.
You local wineries in Maryland, PA, and VA all offer wines in various levels of sweetness. Visit some of these to check out your palate.
- Jackie - 11-06-2007
Do you like reds or whites?? Sweet reds are a bit harder to find, but if you like sweet whites, try a Riesling [Reez-ling]. Look for a Johannisburg Riesling and/or a Late Harvest Riesling, the latter being the sweeter of the two. (The term "late harvest" refers to wines made from grapes left on the vine longer than usual, allowing more sugar to develop inside the grapes so they produce sweeter wine.)
Another medium sweet white wine would be the Rieslings from Germany, sold as Kabinett [kah-bee-NET] or Spatlese [schp-ate'-laze-a] (German for late harvest). They are light, fragrant, crisp; highly food versatile and just as good by themselves! A good wine retailer can recommend one, so don't be afraid to ask. Good wine shops usually take pride in recommending quality selections.
Still sweeter German white wines are designated as Auslese, Beerinauslese, Trokenbeerinauslese, or Eiswein.
Other wines that might appeal to you are white zinfandels, which are really pink in color, sometimes referred to as a "blush" wine. DeLoach makes a nice one as does Beringer. Both should be easily found.
Asti Spumante is an Italian sparkling wine that is sweetish and often beloved by beginners.
As for red wines, a lower alcohol beverage wine with sweetness is Lambrusco from Italy. Riunite is a very affordable national brand that you can find almost anywhere. You might also want to try Ernest & Julio Gallo's "Cafe Zinfandel", a sweetish red wine with a nice combination of fruit and almost a cinnamony undertone, very guzzle-able when cold.
Many wines have some degree of sweetness to them and some of the finest red wines in the world are naturally sweet e.g. Vintage Port, certain late harvest Zinfandels. Bearing that in mind, in most red wines--unless the wine is a dessert wine-- sweetness is usually considered either a flaw or an indication of being a "jug wine".
If you like REALLY sweet wine, such as a dessert wine....try a port. A port is a fortified red wine, which means it is higher in alcohol than table wines, but it can be great with or as dessert. Port is a wonderful after dinner beverage with or without some walnuts and/or a piece of cheese..
The world's most famous (and most expensive) white dessert wines are French Sauternes. Very sweet, so they are not something to quaff down with dinner.