Which Wine

[BertiWooster]

I quite fancy a bottle of wine , for the festive period .

However there is so many out there - it's a minefield .

All I know is that it has got to be a sweet wine - not medium or dry .

Any suggestions for a reasonable priced sweet example ?

Thanks

[redcrx]

i only like sweet wines and tend to go for white grenache or white zinfadel (which are rose)

ernest and julio gallo are good
http://www.ciao.co.uk/Ernest_and_Julio_white_g renache__5287259
http://www.gallofamily.ie/images/ourwines/sv/l argebottles/whitegren.jpg

[echokilo]

What about sweet with a bit of fizz? Asti Spumante?

[coccinelle]

A Sauternes or a Monbazillac are two excellent sweet wines.

[BertiWooster]

Thanks folks .

Not being a regular partaker of alcohol - are your suggestions widely available or do you have to go hunt them out ?

Sodemall10 - i didn't realise that not drinking a sweet wine was a requirement to being sophisticated.
Why do some people like you on here feel the need to be vulgar , in response to a simple enquiry - is it a requirement to being sophisticated ?

[coccinelle]

The Sauternes and Monbazillac are both french wines, if they're not in the supermarkets in UK they'll be in a wine shop.

[joggerjayne]

There's a world of difference between ...

white grenache or white zinfadel (which are "sweet" as in fruity, and not dry)

and

Sauternes and Monbazillac (which are intensely sweet dessert wines).

When you say "sweet", BW, what sort of sweetness do you have in mind.

And, by the way, I don't think that sophistication or otherwise is a function of personal taste.

[mumof3angels]

I agree with redcrx about the rose wines. I'm not keen on dry wines but any of the californian roses/ zinfandel/ grenache are lovely. As well as ernest and julio gallo, blossom hill is also a good make. To make it a slightly longer drink a drop of lemonade and ice is lovely with any of the above.

[dave123456]

If as previously mentioned you don't want a richly sweet dessert wine, but a medium sweet white, look in supermarkets for anything German described as Spatlese or Auslese, the latter sweeter than the former. If you are willing to spend �6-�8 or so, you can get a very nice bottle.
Also, German whites are very clean tasting and are generally lower in alcohol than other wines, both of which attributes lessen the likelihood of a hangover.
If you do want the richer style, Sauternes is definitely the one to go for, but it is generally dearer. Spanish Moscatel de Valencia is a cheaper option, widely available, often described as liquid marmalade.

[BertiWooster]

Thank you folks for your suggestions .

I seldom drink alcohol , and when I do , it has thus far not usually been wine - hence my lack of knowlege on the subject .
However I thought I might try a bottle of wine over the festive period .

joggerjayne
I do know that on the occasions when i have had wine in the past , that i prefer it to have a sweet taste - not intensely sweet , i dont think - but certainly not dry . So I guess something a bit more than medium .

[Prudentia]

very few people like sweet wines bu they are mostly made by the french, try a sauternes.

[BertiWooster]

OK - at the risk of further showing by ignorance when it comes to wines .

Do I take it that Sauternes or Monbazillac are the names of the grape variety or the region where the wine is made ?

If i want to try one of the above examples , can you give me the name of a producer that appears on the bottle , when i go looking in the supermarket .

[evedawn]

The wines made from the muscat grapes are the sweetest. The muscat grape is used as the BASE white in Asti spumante but it is even sweeter (and yummier ) when turned into a "dessert" wine.

Try "Rietvlei Estate Red Muscadel"

or

De Wetshof Estate Cape Muscadel

Both South African wines (I grew up in the S. African winelands I am bound to be biased ay?) but should be available from any large off licence or wine merchants.

[evedawn]

ohhh - sorry I now see you don't want an intensely sweet wine....muscadel isn't for you then!

try a semi sweet wine like Simonsig: (blend of Chenin Blanc, Morio Muscat and Colombard grapes) - it's "delicately " sweet... and the Simonsig wines are certainly available in the wine section of my local Tescos
Shoul be around �6.00.

Or try Bellingham: "Legacy" - I have seen that occassionally in my local Tesco for around �5.00

[evedawn]

PS - "Simonsig" is the "producer" (or vinyard) and the name of the the wine is "Franciskaner"

Just like "Bellingham" is the "producer" (vinyard ) whilst "Legacy" is the name of that particular "blend"....


hope this helps....

[coccinelle]

Sauternes and Monbazillac are regions of France. These names are written on the bottle. Google to have a look. When choosing french wines make sure there's an 'R' or Recoltant typed on the top, you know you're getting a good wine. (I wouldn't think a Sauternes or Monbazillac could have anything else but this).