Looking for a GOOD (sugar) Sweet Wine.

[ILikeWINE2]

I'm new to wine drinking. I've had Zif, and Arbor Mist* type wines, but I'm looking for a sweet red wine. I bought a Woodbridge* Merlot that was very dry, but I thought that it would be sweet because it was red. Don't know a Pinot Noir, from a Chardonnay. I don't know my wines yet, but I'm ready to learn. All info., and responses will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Innkeeper]

HI ILW2, and welcome to the Wine Board. Haven't been to Elmendorf since we stopped there for refueling on the way home from 'Nam in '72.

Most red wine is dry; this is it has had all the suger in the grapes fermented out of it. There are only a small handful of reds that contain what we call residual sweetness. The most common on these is Lambrusco from Italy. There are many red wines that are dry but seem sweet because of their vibrant fruitiness. Beaujolais is a wine that fall in this category. Look for Beaujolais Villages. Some young inexpensive Pinot Noirs can have the same effect.

Chardonnay is a white that is usually made into dry wines. Some whites that can be sweet are Riesling, Chenin Blanc, and Gewurztraminer. They can be dry too, so check the bottles carefully or ask your retailer for advice. If your retailer is your exchange manager, you may not have too much luck, so find a wine store in town.