Total Newbie...need help

[Innkeeper]

Hi Emkb, I agree with much that has been posted. It is best to start with sweeter wines such as white zinfandel, off dry riesling, and lambrusco if you are just coming off soda pop or tonic as we say in Northern New England.

We love red zinfandel, but it is dry and usually very high in alcohol. It is a wine to move to rather than jump into. Other reds you may might to try first include Beaujolais (from France), Salice Salintino (from Italy), and Rioja (from Spain). These are all smooth and relatively low in alcohol.

Incidentally wine is fermented, not brewed. Alcohol content is primarily determined by how much sugar was in the grapes to begin with. If there was not a lot, which happens when grapes have a hard time rippening as in Germany, you can get dry low alcohol wines.

Wine is usually fremented completely dry. If it is a wine that usually carries residual sugar, this is added with backblending with unfermented grape juice. If the wine contains natural residual sugar, it is usually very expensive.

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 09-11-2002).]