Sweet Wines

Tanya: where are you located? as that will have an affect on what wines you can get your hands on...

The wine is called Iced Delaware by Klingshirn in Ohio. It is the best of the Ohio Wineries. It is $20 for a 375ml bottle, which isn't bad for ice wine, but too expensive for everyday enjoyment.

Hello!

I am the Greater Cleveland area of Ohio.

Since you live here in the northeast (or pretty close - I'm in PA), you might be able to find wines made from native American grapes like Concord (red), Niagara or Cayuga (both white), or Catawba (often made into rose). These wines tend to be simple and grapey, so I don't know if they will be up your alley.

Otherwise, you might like German-made Riesling Spatlese or Auslese (some of these are dry, though) or Vidal ice wine from New York or Canada. Some of these might out your price range, though.

Dan-O

Ice wine, eiswein and noble rot wines are not intended for everyday enjoyment. So you can easily afford to spend $20 for a special occasion every 3 months or so...

My experience with most ice wine is that it is cheap cloying badly made sugary stuff with a pretty bottle, opportunists jumoing on the marketing success of Niagara. The notable exceptions are exactly the opposite, exceptional wines.

I think that no ice wine or eiswein comes close to the complexity of a botrytis wine, so I tend to prefer the latter.

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

The only US sweet wine I have tried this year is Obsession by Ironstone vineyards, although it is a very different style it might be worth a try. Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora in half bottles might be of interest, or cheaper their late picked Muscat. The best bet is probably a German auslese but I don't know what would be available to you.

Yes, I would concur absolutely on the Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora, I had some last night, but it is a trifle expensive. For a cheaper alternative with a similar "dessert wine" style, try a Muscat de Beaumes de Venise or even one of the better quality Moscatel de Valencias. I'm a long way from Ohio, so I can't help with availability, I'm afraid.

Regards,

Ian

Or a cheaper German wine, e.g. Spätlese or Kabinett. I tend to prefer the lighter Kabinett style for most occasions. And it is so low in alcohol you can drink even more :-)

These are usually sweet, but do also come in dry (trocken) or medium dry (halbtrocken or feinherb) styles so watch out!

If you like icewine, how about Renwood's Amador Ice (Zinfandel). It's $13 or $14 for a 375.

How 'bout an Icewine made from grapes affected by botrytis?

(just being difficult!) e. winemonger

Would that still be a liquid?

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

I actually have a strong preference for Eiswein from non-botrytis-infected grapes (it's pretty common though not usual for there to be botrytis in eiswein). Eiswein with rot doesn't play to the strengths of either style of dessert wine.

Dale

Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply

Hi Dale- Can't say as I agree with your tastes here, but that's the way it goes. However, I've had some exquisite Icewines lately which are made from the Grüner Veltliner varietal. The vintner (Manfred Weiss) prefers using it for his Icewines specifically because it isn't as easily affected by botrytis.

-e. winemonger _________________________

] Yes, I would concur absolutely on the Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora, I had ] some last night, but it is a trifle expensive. For a cheaper alternative with a ] similar "dessert wine" style, try a Muscat de Beaumes de Venise or even one of the ] better quality Moscatel de Valencias.

Muscat de Beaumes de Venise (or de Rivesaltes) can be quite cheap on the continent, but in Ohio one is likely to find only Vidal-Fleury or some other negoc for a pretty penny, I'm afraid. Actually the coop at BdV does a pretty nice one that really doesn't break the bank.

How about a young, inexpensive Coteaux du Layon?

-E

Er, are there any inexpensive ones? I mean, other than chaptalized?

Mike

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France email link

] On Mon, 6 Sep 2004 11:05:49 +0200, Emery Davis ] wrote: [] ] >How about a young, inexpensive Coteaux du Layon? ] ] Er, are there any inexpensive ones? I mean, other than chaptalized? ]

Hi Mike,

We get a 2eme trie from Dom Ambinos that's around 10 ¤. I'm pretty sure it's unchaptalized. Not stellar but very pleasant.

Anyway given where the OP is starting from I suspect this is not an issue! :)

-E

I did not get the basic post and I do not know where you are at, but you might consider the wines of Quady Winery in California. He make two that might interest you. A Black Muscat Called Elysium and a Orange Muscat called Eessensia. They retail for about (US) $18-20 for a 750 ml bottle. Great value for a very good dessert wine an readily available.

The original questioner liked icewine and was looking for cheaper sweet wines.

I liked the Essensia last year when I had a couple of half bottles, I remember it as having a spicy orange character. The Elysium was less to my taste.