A little Wine help

[puros_bran]

Every year I am faced with the decision of where to vacation. Every year I seem to be making the decision for more and more people. This year its 9 familys and a few singles, if I've counted right I have 47 folks headed to Ft Morgan Alabama with me this June. I'm eventually going to have to put a limit on this as its starting to tax my organizational abilitys.
Usually we cruise or take all-inclusives etc where a lot of the planning is done for me,not this year.

I need help. Patron,Appleton,Knob Creek and Makers,Miller n Bud, I have most bases covered but I must admit to being a bit of a wine retard. I know what I like but the Mrs usually complains its to dry,she prefers sweet country wines. Country wines are ok but 7 days worth of them is going to get complaints.

What's some good 'dessert wines'? Something sweet,available and not to outrageous.

 

[luckydogguy]

I actually like the Muscat or Muscato (Italian) fro a dessert wine. It's light and sweet, goes great with chocolate and stawberries! You can get some on the cheaper side for about $15-$25. they usually come in a 375 ml instead of the 750ml. so it is a bit more money compared to a regular "wine".

I also like a late harvest Reisling ( the sweetest and more expensive). They are categorized in the follow way:

Kabinet- first picking of the fruitand lends to a "drier" wine
Spatlese- second picking with a bit more sweetness
Auslese- picking done late and is on the sweeter side even more.

If you see "trocken" on the bottle it means that it is a DRY Riesling.



My wife also likes sweeter wines and she prefers a White Merlot or White Zinfendel. Of these I like Berringer and Forest Glen.

If you like to just sip a bit here and there I would go with a Port. Doesn't have to be a Vintage but definately not a "Ruby" port. Ruby ports are very young and taste liek fortified juice. I would recommend getting something in the "Tawny" Port. Six Grapes , Taylor Fladgate, and Clocktower are great Ports to try.


Hope this helps a little bit.


Lucky

 

[Carlos]

There is some good local area wines. Plenty of them sweet. Stone Hill and Galena Cellars.

Good, sweet, fruity, and cheap, try Wild Vine. Available at any decent grocery.

Also, for those that really don't give a care as to where it's from. Mix any wine with 7UP or Squirt and then it's sweet. Makes a nice spritzer for the Podunkers.

 

[glpease]

Kabinet- first picking of the fruitand lends to a "drier" wine
Spatlese- second picking with a bit more sweetness
Auslese- picking done late and is on the sweeter side even more.

If you see "trocken" on the bottle it means that it is a DRY Riesling.

May I offer a bit of clarification?

While the word "Trocken" in isolation does mean "dry," but when used in a different form, it's presence indicates a wine that is among the best of the sweet rieslings.

Trockenbeerenauslese translates roughly to "Dry berry selected." These are wines made from the shriveled, over-ripe grapes that are usually infected with botrytis, or "noble rot." The fungus uses up much of the moisture in the grape, leaving a concentrated fruit that is extremely high in sugar, and also influenced by the delightful taste of the fungus. (I know. It sounds dreadful, but this is part of the secret behind the amazing wines of Sauternes, as well as the German Beerenausleses and Trockenbeerenausleses.)

Spätleses are late harvest wines, and usually, but not always, are quite sweet and delicate bodied. Beerenausleses are always sweet, and usually possess the noble rot. Trockenbeerenausleses are the rarest and most full-bodied.

In isolation, Trocken indicates dry, Halbtrocken indicates "off dry" or "demi sec." So, an Auslese Trocken, an appelation that's rarely used, would be a dry Auslese, but a Trockenbeerenauslese would be a very sweet wine.

The German Prädikat classifications are a little confusing, but once you know the meanings of the words, they can make some sense.

Of course, this offers nothing to help poor PB in his plight to find something affordable, drinkable, not to dry, not too sweet. Goldilocks had similar problems when she paid her visit to the Three Beeren. [Sorry...]

 

[puros_bran]

Port,Maddog 20/20 with 7up and whatevertheheckgregsaid. Got it.

 

[Ol'Dawg]

Also, for those that really don't give a care as to where it's from. Mix any wine with 7UP or Squirt and then it's sweet. Makes a nice spritzer for the Podunkers.

A few other Podunker favorites include Manischewitz Blackberry or Elderberry mixed with Sprite or ginger ale. Arbor Mist and Wild Vines have a blackberry flavored merlot that's good straight or mixed with sprite or ginger ale. All these ingredients are available at Wal-Mart too!

Jim...a podunker wine kahnosure

 

[Tennessee Dave]

I agree with a lot of what has been suggested. I would also add a Viognier to the list. It has a little sweetness and smells like pineapples and peaches. Great stuff for sipping and an great alternative to Chardonnay. You can find some pretty tasty bottles or less than 10 bucks.

 

[glpease]

I agree with a lot of what has been suggested. I would also add a Viognier to the list. It has a little sweetness and smells like pineapples and peaches. Great stuff for sipping and an great alternative to Chardonnay. You can find some pretty tasty bottles or less than 10 bucks.

Great suggestion!

I love Viogniers. I don't know if it's available near you, but Pepperwood Grove's is wonderful, and can often be found on sale at Safeway for about $5. At that price, it's an absolute steal. Several of Pepperwood's wines have fooled me into believing that they were much more expensive than they are. The Syrah is super, and their Chardonnay is well above the average "consumerized" versions. They present a lot of wodnerful varietal character and skillful vinification, both of which are uncommon in wines at this price point.

Chenin Blancs can also be nice wines to satisfy those who want something with a touch of sweetness and not too much weight or complexity. They've fallen off the popularity wagon in recent years, but there are still a few out there.

PB, just, please, say NO to "white Zinfandel." Being in California, I'm a little jaded, but, to me, this is nothing more than a waste of perfectly good wine grapes. (There are some truly spectacular Zins made. None of them are "white.")

:darklord:

 

[jeepernick]

Hey PB if you are in the area you might try Lovers Leap winery in Lawrenceburg. They have a blackberry wine that is quite good. Definately a dessert wine. Their other samples are good as well.

 

[Justpipes]

Port,Maddog 20/20 with 7up and whatevertheheckgregsaid. Got it.

PB,

We have a winery here in NC called Duplin Winery that makes some very fine table and country wines. I am not a wine drinker per say but I really enjoy a few of the Duplin wines. They are sweet but not too sweet. They specialized in using wild Scuppernong and Muscadine grapes. They use the Scuppernongs for white wines and the Muscedines for reds. I believe that your wife would find them delightful. They also make an awesome Blackberry wine that is not too sweet at all.

Scuppernong Blush
Bald Head Red
Carolina Red
Magnolia
Brice's Creek
Black River Red
Queen Anne's Revenge
Black Berry
American Port

These are a few of their wines that I am familiar with. They are all sweet wines but I would actually classify most of them as semi-sweet as I don't find them sweet in the tradition of common sweet domestic wines. They are very good! Duplin has an on-line store so you could order them if you can't find them locally.

http://www.duplinwinery.com/

 

[Ol'Dawg]

PB,
If you haven't decided on which wines to pack, you can always stop at any of the 10 or so wineries along the way and do the taste test before you buy. It may add some time to the trip, but just think of the fun you'll have. :drunken:

Here's a couple of websites to get you started--
http://www.tennesseewines.com/wineries.htm
http://www.alabamawines.net/wineries.htm

One of my favorite restaurants near Mobile is Rousso's. I haven't been to their new place on the eastern shore, but I'm sure the food is just as good. Be sure to try their fried crab claws.
http://www.roussosrestaurant.com/

Jim

 

[puros_bran]

Lamberts over in Foley is awesome. They also have a store out in Missouri. 'Home of the throwed roll'. If you don't need wheel barreled out of there its your own fault.

Fatboy knows where to find food .

Back when gas was cheap we'd sometimes take a wild hair, load up and head to missouri,eat and then turn around and head home. .

 

[Ol'Dawg]

That's cool! I've eaten at the Lambert's in Sikeston several times but didn't know there was one in Foley. But then I've never been to Foley, home of Rad Davis. With Rad being so skinny, I guess he doesn't know about it.

Jim

 

[Wet Dottle]

PB, I don't know much about sweet wines and there have been a lot of good replies already. However, this week I went to a wine tasting event where there was Alice White Lexia. Your wife will love it. The local shops carry it for $6.00 per bottle. Serve chilled.

 

[eggman]

wwwwwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

 

[showme1or2]

Have you ever tried muscadine wine, PB? It's pretty good and maybe a little different than anything else.

Need some cheese, eggman?