Would you please indulge a wine novice for a few moments?

I've quickly found out that saying you like "sweet" wines sends up red
flags among lots of wine connosieurs. But whether my current preference
is a sign of an undeveloped palate or just a lack of good taste, that's
what I prefer at this point in my very young wine-drinking career. And
I'd like some recommendations from those more experienced in this area.
Basically, I'm looking for a satisfying everyday drink -- something
I'll probably use as a nightcap.

Since "sweet" means different things to different people, let me try to
give you the best description I can of what I mean, based on some of
the wines I've tried so far.

+Chaucer's Mead -- not technically a wine, I suppose, but this is what
got me interested in exploring actual grape wines. I loved the
satisfying sweetness of the honey and the rich, full flavor.

+Semi-dry Riesling (sorry, I don't have brand names for some of these
available) -- The body was a little too light and delicate for me,
though the sweetness level was adequate.

+Gewurztraminer -- Had a nice, spicy zing to it and a decent level of
sweetness.

+Vintage port and LBV port -- The vintage was ca. 1995, I think. Yes,
sacrilege, I know, for drinking it too early, but aside from the mead,
these are the two most satisfying wines I've tasted yet. A nice, full
body, delightfully fruity, complex, and almost perfectly sweet (for
me).

+Vintage character port -- I can't remember the maker of this one, but
it seemed almost as if the bottlers tried TOO hard to make this taste
like a vintage. I'm not pretending to be sophisticated enough to know
whether this was the case; all I know is that while the sweetness and
fruitiness were there, there was also an almost overpowering spiciness
that detracted from my enjoyment of any of the underlying flavors.

+Malmsey and Bual Madeira -- Both were Blandy's 5-Year varieties.
Decent level of sweetness. The Malmsey, though, was almost
overwhelmingly powerful -- an assault on my taste buds! And I didn't
care for the sour undertones. Bual struck me as a little more
palatable, but not something I'd want to enjoy as a daily drink. Is it
worth trying the Verdelho or Rainwater varieties, and how do they
compare with Malmsey and Bual?

+Bristol Cream Sherry -- I was really unimpressed with this. In short,
I just found it nasty, like a Madeira without any of the complexity.

+Valdespino Pedro Ximenez "The Cream of Cream Sherry" -- Blah! Treacly,
syrupy. Like candy in a bottle. WAY too sweet.

+Some half-bottle of Australian Tokay, can't remember the maker --
Again, too syrupy.

+A half-bottle of Sauternes, can't remember the maker -- Reminded me a
lot of mead, with a distinct honey-like flavor. I enjoyed this one,
except for the strong, almost truffle-like aftertaste.

+Dow's tawny port -- No indicaton of average age, and it looked more
reddish than tawny. I'm not sure what I got here, but I wasn't overly
impressed. A little drier than the vintage and LBV ports I've had, and
not much in the way of complexity.

+Ruby port -- can't remember the maker. Not bad, but I think I was
spoiled by having tried the vintage and LBV first. Not as full-bodied
or complex, but pleasantly fruity and sweet.

So, based on this information, what else is out there that I might
enjoy? I've heard good things about some of the sweet German wines and
am thinking about heading in that direction next. What about ice wines?

Thanks, everybody!

Adrian

A.M. Rush wrote:
Would you please indulge a wine novice for a few moments?

I've quickly found out that saying you like "sweet" wines sends up red
flags among lots of wine connosieurs.

Many people tend to use "dessert" rather than "sweet" in describing
sweet wines. I see no good reason for doing so, other than habit. A
sweet wine may be served as dessert, with dessert, or just about
anytime in the day. However not many people will like it served with a
steak, for example. But then not many people would like a bone-dry and
high-acidity "oyster" wine served with their sweet dessert either.

So called "wine connosieurs" who have bad opinions of sweet wines in
general, are just ignorant. Of course there are a few people who just
do not like anything sweet, be it wine, cake, candy etc. There are
plenty of poor sweet wines, just as there are plenty of poor dry wines.
However many of the most rare, most famous, and most expensive wines in
the world are sweet, and sometimes extremely sweet. The great Tokaji
Essencia, which Louis 14 called the king of wines and the wine for
kings, is a wine with often far over 50 percent of residual sugar, but
it has plenty of acid to balance the sweetness. Ch. d'Yquem, the great
German TBAs, the great very sweet Loires, etc are some of the most
famous wines in the world, and many can cost more than first growth
Bordeaux. But let the detractors of fine sweet wines rant on. Some of
these wines are so rare and expensive that increased demand would send
the price into orbit.

"A.M. Rush" skrev i melding
oups.com...
Would you please indulge a wine novice for a few moments?

I've quickly found out that saying you like "sweet" wines sends up red
flags among lots of wine connosieurs. But whether my current preference
is a sign of an undeveloped palate or just a lack of good taste, that's
what I prefer at this point in my very young wine-drinking career.
.........
So, based on this information, what else is out there that I might
enjoy? I've heard good things about some of the sweet German wines and
am thinking about heading in that direction next. What about ice wines?

You hit the nails head... A good German Riesling Ice Wine (Eiswein) is
several things at once, delicate and full, flowery and fruity, sweet and
zingy, excellent as a stand alone drink after a dinner. Nowadays they
aren't too expensive, but be prepared to shell out something like 40-50USD
for a half bottle, easily double that from a top winery.
However, a 20USD German Riesling Auslese (for a full bottle) should be a
very good drink too for you. If you have a selection available - ask here
for a recommendation!
hth
Anders

In article .com,
says...

Would you please indulge a wine novice for a few moments?

[SNIP some sweeter wines]

Adrian,

It is about what YOU like. None can, or should, try and tell you what YOU
should like. You mentioned some of my favorites: Port (most types/styles),
Sauternes, well-crafted Rieslings. While I love most wines from Alvarinhõ to
Zinfandel, some of my all-time favorites are on the sweet side.

As has been mentioned, there is a place (in the evening and the meal) for
these, as they *tend* to fit in better toward the end of a meal - the
Rieslings and some from the Loire are notable exceptions.

Eiswein *is* something you should explore. While I find that many domestic (
North American) ice wines can be pretty one dimensional, one producer of
Eiswein in GR, Sichel, has some fairly typical and good ones, that should not
break the bank. While not as inexpensive (relative term here), as the
domestics, they usually offer quite a bit more. I feel the same about most GR
Auslese Rieslings. An inexpensive one is usually better than most produced
domestically - personal taste. After you have sampled some, you might also
look down the "ripeness" scale to the Spätlese offerings. Still quite fruity,
but with a bit less RS in them, usually. They also pair better with food,
especially if there is some heat in the seasoning.

In the realm of reds, many of the Zinfandels offer a perception of sweetness,
but also full body, and usually quite friendly with food, provided that their
alcohol levels are not too far out of balance. Though not near the bottom of
the price list, the Edmeades Alden Ranch, and most of the Zins from Robert
Biale come to my mind. Much "drier" than dessert wines, they offer good
balance, and might be a good place to start the exploration of dry red wines.
I was introduced to fine wines via a Taylor Fladgate ‘70 Vintage Port. My
exploration branched out to Sauternes, Madeiras, and Eisweins. However, it was
an older Pomerol Bdx (heavy on the Merlot), served with a wonderful dinner,
hosted by my wine mentor, that really started me on the road to more than the
"stickies."

While exploring the wonderful world of wines, don't hesitate to experiment
with those beyond the sweet category. You might not quite appreciate them, but
will probably one day, find a new appreciation for some - take notes, plenty
of notes.

And, while on the subject of "stickies," do not fail to sample some of the
wonderful offerings from Australia. Their port-style wines, late harvest, and
the like should NOT be missed.

Domestically, many wineries produce "late harvest" wines, and these should be
sampled, as well. The Beringer Nightingale, Mondavi Muscat d'Oro, and a myriad
of sweeter wines must be experienced. I'd recommend, that they be served well
chilled, to fully appreciate their charm.

As has been echoed, so many times in this NG (and elsewhere), "so many wines,
so little time... "

Hunt

Hunt wrote:

While exploring the wonderful world of wines, don't hesitate to experiment
with those beyond the sweet category. You might not quite appreciate them, but
will probably one day, find a new appreciation for some - take notes, plenty
of notes.


I figure that this adventure will be quite like my previous foray into
cigars ... I had to develop my palate before I could appreciate the
differences and subtleties and ranges of flavors. I'm sure that I'll
come to appreciate drier wines eventually. I'm just dipping my toe into
the world of wine by going with what I know I like now ... but I'm
certainly looking forward to expanding my horizons! And I have been
taking notes so far ... as much as my limited wine vocabulary will
allow.

Thanks to all of you for your advice so far. I think my next step will
be to find myself a nice eiswein this weekend.

Adrian

On 10 Nov 2005 07:56:15 -0800, "A.M. Rush" wrote:


+Valdespino Pedro Ximenez "The Cream of Cream Sherry" -- Blah! Treacly,
syrupy. Like candy in a bottle. WAY too sweet.

Pour some of it over vanilla ice cream and get back to us with the
result.


--
=================================================
Do you like wine? Do you live in South Florida?
Visit the MIAMI WINE TASTERS group at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/miamiWINE
=================================================

If there is a wine shop or other venue nearby that offers wine
tastings, that is a good way to become more familiar with wines you may
not have been exposed to, and to reevaluate wines that you may have
tried in the past. That way, you can try wines and determine what to
buy without spending a lot of cash.

As may have been noticed, I am a German wine fanatic-- I would like to
mention that there are some Icewines that are fairly inexpensive, some
less than $20 U.S. I have a very nice Pinot Noir icewine in my cellar.
Also some other faves are fortified French wines from the Rhone made
from Muscat or Grenache, and the great Chenin Blancs from the Loire
area. Cheers!

Adrian:
Vouvray is a white French wine from the Loire Valley that isn't as
sweet as the wines you've mentioned but it's got enough residual sugar
it doesn't count as dry. It's a wonderful wine. Champalou Vouvray
imported by the respected Kermit Lynch is about $15 a bottle. It's a
good place to start.