i want to know about wines

[Cwells]

I'm new to the wine world and I want to know, what makes a chardonnay a chardonnay, a pinot grigio, a pinot grigio. What is a dry wine or sweet wine? What wines go best with what foods. Please help me out!

[winedope1]

hi cw and welcome to the Board! one of the easiest (and easiest to find )sources is Wine For Dummies, one in that informative series ..... For Dummies. I'm sure that others here will have more suggestions for you. Good luck and enjoy! WD

[This message has been edited by winedope1 (edited 09-14-2002).]

[Innkeeper]

WD gave you great advice, and here's some info to shorten the learning curve. The chardonnay grape makes chardonnay, and the pinot grigio (a.k.a. gris) makes pinot girgio (gris). These are varietal wines which are named after the variety of grapes. There are also wines named after regions (Chianti) and named by the winery or proprietary wine (Long Flat Red).

Dry wine is wine that has had all the sugar fermented into alcohol. Sweet wine that costs less than $50 or so have had some unfermented grape juice added to the finished product.

Wines that go best with food are those that are made with ripe or under ripe grapes, and not with over ripe grapes. These are usually lower in alcohol and more balanced than bigger and or less balanced wines. What is usally lacking in balance is acid.