Dry Wine's Better With Food - Or Is It?

Why do most people reject mildly sweet wine but readily accept or even crave for sweet beverages like fresh fruit juices with meals? It seems that: food with sugar is ok but food with sugar plus alcohol is unpleasant or even offensive. Puzzled! Thanks

Yes, that coupled with a perceived "snob appeal." Over the last year, there have been hundreds of recommendations for "semi-sweet," to "sweet" wines with appropriate food pairings in this NG. From Chenin B's to Sauternes, the list is almost endless.

Now, that does not mean that the couple sitting behind you in the restaurant won't answer, "ugh, I don't drink ANY sweet wine. Give me something 'bone' dry!"

Hunt

As often as not, Hunt, I've found that those people who demand a "dry" wine actually want something off-dry and when presented with a truly dry white wine such as a Sancerre or White Bordeaux find it not at all to their taste ;-) Of course, there are people who truly do despise anything off-dry, but they tend to be in the minority IME.

Mark Lipton

Probably the same folk, who now only order Central Coast, CA/US PN's and refuse to drink Merlot :-}

Actually, I had a bit of a hard time doing TN's on CA/WA/OR PN's recently. No matter how much I like some, the PR and furor around them is not to my liking. However, I steadfastly refused to join the ABC (Anything but Cab, or Chard, take your pick), when it was rampant. I still consumed gallons of non-Cab/ Chards, but enjoyed the ones that I owned, or ordered.

I suspect, as you point out, that these people are more poseurs, than winos.

Hunt

I've found that to my taste semi-sweet ( or ripe-sweet) wines go best with savory foods but don't match with spicy asian foods. My favorite combo is German Riesling with French food. I just opened a semi-dry Fitz-Ritter Ungsteiner Herrenberg Riesling auslese that would be wonderful with food- esp smoked salmon.