sweet (or semi-sweet) red wines?

[ilag100]

Hi,

I really like white wines (e.g., Pinot grigio, gewurtztraminer) and find them generally to be sweeter than reds. Is that true or is it just me? The reds that i've tasted so far don't have much sweetness in them. What are the sweetest reds out there (for meals, not desserts) that you think would suit my palate? Thanks very much in advance for your reply.

[Innkeeper]

Hi Ilag, and welcome to the Wine Board. Have never tasted a Pinot Grigio that was anything except bone dry. GTs can be dry or slightly off dry. Maybe what you think is sugar is fruit. There are many fruity reds. Beaujolais is one. The 2002 Nouveau is not recommended (bad year). Try 2001 Beaujolais Villages or the lighter Cru Beaujolais (Brouilly, Fleurie). There are also many fruity Italian reds. Check with your retailer.

[ilag100]

Thanks, Innkeeper, for your reply. THat's an interesting observation. I'll try looking for that Beaujolais you suggested, and let the board know what I think of it. THanks again!

[Drew]

Ilag, you might want to try some of the nice Roses on the market from France, Spain and Australia. Could be a nice transition from white to red.

Drew

[ilag100]

Thanks, Drew, for your response. That's exactly what I'm looking for- something that's going to ease the transition from white to red. Was there any particular wine you had in mind?

[Innkeeper]

http://www.wines.com/ubb2/Forum13/HTML/000333.html

[ilag100]

Just want to give an update on my wine adventures. I posted the original question because though I have had tasted reds before, i really haven't learned how to appeciate it. I don't know what happened tonight, but I had grilled pork and shiraz (don't know if that's the right combination), and I enjoyed the wine! I think the secret (for me, anyway) is just to drink it with the right attitude- thinking that you'd enjoy it. I'm now even enjoying the heat that comes out of your nasal cavities! Thanks for your support.

[Innkeeper]

In her new book, "Great Tastes Made Simple", Andrea Immer states flat out that all wine goes with all food. She then goes on to explain how and why some wines go better with certain foods. Otherwise there would be no reason to read her book!

Therefore, I would never suggest that shiraz is the wrong wine for grilled pork chops. Glad you enjoyed it. Don't know about the attitude thing. I try to approach a wine with an open mind and let the wine convince me. If you go down to the German thread, there is a posting where one of our experianced members had to get past the odor of fuel oil in order to enjoy a riesling from Alsace. It he hadn't, he never would have enjoyed the wine. Maybe that is about attitude!

With pork chops, I prefer pinot noir. Also like what one might call "big rose's" such as the one I referenced above. Some gutsy whites also go well with pork chops such as the riesling from Alsace mentioned above, fuel oil and all. Other whites are the Austrian Gruner Veltliner and the Italian Vermentino.

[ilag100]

Thanks, innkeeper, for the insight. Actually what I was trying to say regarding attitude was that don't think you'd hate the wine. With me, I had always associated wine (reds usually) with bitterness, such that I would approach wine with trepidation and pessimism,if that makes any sense.

Since i was so excited about finding out that shiraz suits my taste, i read more about it and found out that it's known for its fruitiness, which agrees with the other poster's observation that I like fruity wines! SO nice when things work out and knowing that you could trust your taste buds and be able to verbalize your reactions.