Sauternes

[BertiWooster]

I have just started trying wines recently

I have discovered that I dont like dry wines and all the medium wines i have so far tried are still not sweet enough for me.
Someone suggested a Sauternes . Is this a sickly sweet wine - and why is it so expensive ?.
It's in my local supermarket at nearly � 9 for 50cl bottle , which is smaller than the standard size wine bottles .

Also what is meant by a full /medium bodied wine ?

thanks

[Androcles]

I expect you will find your taste gets dryer as you become more experienced.

You may like to look at http://www.squidoo.com/understandingwine,

This will give you some basics!

Good Sauternes has a balance between sweetness and acidity, so I don't think anybody would call it sickly.

You should also try some of the Australian wines they call "stickies" which are dessert wines, see http://www.adelaidereview.com.au/archives/2004 _06/wine_story1.shtml

Don't do what my father in law did, which was at an official dinner, whilst sitting next to Prince Phillip, called for a sugar bowl and proceeded to stir in two spoonfuls to his glass of wine because it did not like dry wine!

[BertiWooster]

Thanks Androcles

Where are the best places to seek out these Australian dessert wines ?

I tried a dessert wine recently , which I found to
be ' peppery sweet ' - didn't like the peppery bit - Mavro daphne of pathros - i think it was called .

Is there anything between a medium sweet and a dessert wine ?

That's not true about your father in law - is it ?

[coccinelle]

Another sweet wine is Montbazillac and another is Banyuls. The reason they're so expensive is they're harvested late when the sugar content of the grape is high and need to be harvested quickly before the autumn humidity arrives. If left even a couple of days too late a farmer can lose his whole crop.

[Androcles]

Yes it was true - an amazing man who did not suffer fools gladly!

You can find Australian stickies in most wine merchants / Sainsbury's/ Tesco etc. Just ask the assistant and they'll find them for you.

Here is the Tesco list:

http://www.tesco.com/wine/product/search/defau lt.aspx?searchBox=Dessert

Happy drinking!

[ethandron]

try a cotes de bergerac. they're on the sweet side but not a dessert wine. also try sainsbury's moscatel de valencia, classed as a sweet dessert wine, i find it totally luscious without being overly sweet.
neither of those will break the bank, i think they're each under, or about, a fiver.

[Billa]

Ceretto Moscato is a classy Italian sweet wine that you may like: http://www.capitaldri...-0708-750ml-p-73.html