need help...light drinker

[Innkeeper]

Hi Redwin, and welcome to the Wine Board. You are entering the scene at an opportune time. Half bottles are becoming more and more available. One store in our little neck of the woods has a whole shelf full of them now. Just be careful that you are not buying a dessert wine, which is very sweet and very high in alcohol and usually come in the same size bottles. The price should be closer to $10 than $20 and read the labels carefully. You should pick up at least one of these to exercise option 2.

Option two is to have a half bottle (375ml) standing by that has been well cleaned and scalded with hot water. Open a full size bottle, fill up the half bottle clear up to the top. Drive the cork from the full bottle into the half bottle with a rubber mallet. Refrigerate the half bottle, clean up the mess, and enjoy the two glasses left in the formally full bottle.

Right now and only right now you can enjoy the '03 Nouveau Beaujolais. It is as light a red wine as you can find. Jump up to plain ole or Beajolais Villages from earlier vintages until the main line '03s come along later next year. Then try Italian Bardolinos and Valpolicellas. Then try some of the lighter pinot noirs, and slightly harder to find Cotes du Roussillon or Cotes du Provence.