Are there any sweet red wines out there?

[Crystal49201]

I am very new this whole wine thing. I love the sweeter wines so that limits me to the whites. I have been looking for a sweet red wine for quite a while and I have ran into many bitter wines. Does anyone know of a sweet red wine that I may enjoy? Even if you have suggestions for a nice sweet fruity white wine I would appreciate you input. I can't want to read your responses.

Thank you

Crystal

[Kcwhippet]

Try Riunite Lambrusco. a sweetish red, and Riunite Bianco, a white. Nicely inexpensive at about $5. Come on back when you want to go up a notch. We'll have plenty of suggestions.

[Crystal49201]

Thank you very much. I have tried the Lambrusco but I am not so crazy about the bubbles in it.

[robr]

If a wine is bitter it's probably a poorly made cheap wine. Try a nice red zinfandel or shiraz. You will need to spend more than $5 to get a good one.

Most really really sweet red wines come from NY and can only be bought locally. If you want a sweet white, try a riesling from Washington state.

[Crystal49201]

Thank you so much, you have been very helpful. I can't wait to try these wines.

[zenda2]

Sweet red wines are rather hard to find. Here's a red concord wine from Missouri that you might like, 'Velvet Red'.

http://www.stjameswinery.com/shop.asp?subcat=4&show=wine

http://www.stjameswinery.com/

[wgreville]

I have found a great sweet red that does not taste like someone just ut a tablespoon of sugar in it. For us "sugar babies" from the 70's, I found it !

I was at a conference in Vegas, and this booth had a variety of wines, and the last tasting was a fantastic sweet red.
It's like $30 a bottle, so if you know how to get it cheaper, please let me know...
Dornfelder by Rheinhessen made in germany. It's 8.5% alcohol, and very tasty indeed.

So all the anti-oxidants and the sweetness.

[TheEngineer]

I have a few recommendations, from easiest to find to less so:

(1) Rosa Regale 2004 Banfi, Brachetto D'Acqui which is a sparkling red from a large wine company. Easy to find and very non-wine people friendly abou $15-20 per bottle.
(2) Vin Santo (good ones are hard to find and expensive in general)
(3) Cabernet Franc Icewine from Inniskillin. Very sweet, rather expensive (about $100 for half bottle in the US) but worth it for the huh? factor. A bit cloy for me but it is umm unique.

[wondersofwine]

On the Dornfelder, the region is Rheinhessen. (in Germany) I'm not sure who the producer was but other Dornfelder (the grape variety) wines might have similar attributes--fruity and not bitter.
If you don't like bubbles, you might not care for Banfi Rosa Regale either but it has been popular with many women at wine tastings, including those who are just getting into wine.

[Crystal49201]

Wow...thank you fellow wine lovers out there have been very very helpful to me. I can't wait to start trying all these wines. I will let you know what I think!!

[unclebill]

Swedish Hill in New York makes a wonderful semi sweet red. It's called Svenska Red. About $7. If you can't get it where you are, you can buy it online. Just look up Swedish Hill Winery.
Good luck
Bill

[mattt9998]

i when I started to read this I was already thinking of swedish hills wine that he recomended, I guess unclebill just beat me too it. To describe the taste to you it taste very much just like easting a sweet red seedless grape, and its not thick or syrup like.

[kingcabernet]

Hello,
I have been getting a wine that is made with the Dornfelder grape that is red, fruity, not-too-sweet with an explosive flavor of deep berries. The best part is it only costs $19 per bottle and you can get 2 FREE bottles on each case purchase.

The other wine my "pusher" has is a sweet red wine ( a bit sweeter than the above, but not excessively) from Hungary that is of an Ausbruch type/style. This is a wine made with the merlot grape that is smooth-as-silk and NO bitterness whatsoever. $20 bucks a pop, with the same discount as the above wine on a case.

[This message has been edited by kingcabernet (edited 05-25-2006).]

[unclebill]

Another wine you may like is Bully Hill's Banty Red. Grapey and sweet, but not sickening sweet. About $8 a bottle. Their website lists the residual sugar for most of their wines. They have many sweet and semi-sweet reds. I, too enjoy semi-sweet wines--about 3 to 5% residual sugar. Most New York wineries offer a few nice easy to drink reds. I'm anxious to try the German Dornfelders that have been mentioned, but no luck in our local stores. Try www.bullyhill.com.

[Innkeeper]

We just got back from the Finger Lakes in New York and all the wineries that we visited made both sweet and dry reds and whites. We have found this to be true of just about all wineries east of the Rocky Mountains, and should include all those in Michigan too. Get to your local producers and check them out.

[unclebill]

Just tried the German Dornfelder from Rheinhessen region and Valckenberg is the producer. Very smooth and semi sweet. Fruity, but a very interesting taste. Should fit the bill for anyone wanting a very friendly red. Found mine at winedog.com.

[stevebody]

There is a variation of the Brachetto d'Acqui that's called Birbet, a still-wine form of the frizzante (semi-sparkling) Brachetto. It tastes the same; that hallmark nose of fresh rose petals and Kirsch, and is about as sweet as the Columbia Cellarmaster's Reisling. It's delightful chilled to about 45 degrees. We've been pouring it here at my shop and nearly everybody who tries it has never heard of it and all but one of the 11 people who tasted it this weekend bought it. Delightful stuff; about $24, from Malvira.

[wondersofwine]

I'm among those who had never heard of Birbet. Will have to seek it out as I like the Brachetto d'Aqui.

[Norcha]

There is an Italian red out there called 'Camuaro'/ Cagnina Di Romagna. This is the best sweet red I have ever tried. It is inexpensive at about $11.00 a bottle but believe me you will love it!! It is an unusual wine that goes in sweet and down slightly dry and it is very smooth. It is made in the Canina region near Venice. I hope you can find it. Enjoy!

Norcha