a few dumb questions!

[joey joey joe]

1.) if the word 'dry' is an acceptable word to describe wine, how 'bout the word 'wet?'

2.) which is generally a more 'sweet' tasting wine -merlot- or cab?

3.) do you let all wines 'breathe?' and is there a general rule for how long?

thanks for a response; i don't know much about wine but it seems to be a fascinating world. happy drinking!

[Innkeeper]

Hi Joe, and welcome to the Wine Board. "Dry" means that all the sugar in the grape juice has been fermented into alcohol. The more sugar the higher the alcohol. Both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are usually vinted dry. Some brands make them a little on the sweet side. These include Sutter Home and Kendall-Jackson. We generally aerate all except the lightest red wines, and white wines not at all. This is done by pouring the wine into a decanter. Simple opening the bottle, does not let it "breathe" through the dime size opening very well, unless you want it to sit there for twenty four hours or so.

Keep those questions coming.

[wondersofwine]

On question one a wine that is not "dry" would be "off-dry" "semi-sweet" "sweet," etc. As IK explained, "dry" has to do with the fermentation of the sugar, not with the moisture of the liquid.
Enjoy your exploration into the world of wines.