Did you know that the whole concept of the adage “red wine with red meat” is a complete myth? Sure – red wine with red meat is great if you love red wine. The myth part is that somehow you lose out if you happen to prefer white and especially sweet wines! Searching in old cookbooks with references to wine it turns out that even what we consider “dessert wines” today were entirely appropriate on the dinner table even in France! In Larousse Gastronomique, the classic French book on gastronomy written in 1938, it was phrased, “as the guest prefers” when it came to the appropriate wine with the main (or any) course. THAT is the rule to follow! Do you love Kiepersol Moscato, White Zin or Vit? They are all perfect with steak or a fine roast beef. Conversely if you love the reds more often than not you will find them absolutely delicious with your seafood. Most wine and food “radicals” still fall back into the same old trap when it comes to the basics. Having a range of styles available at the table when entertaining will make you the star in the wine and food pairing constellation – and cite that the real people who are in the know are calling back to the true tradition of hospitality – “as the guest prefers.”
Latest Entries »
I was having a conversation with a group of experienced restaurant servers and events sales people at a major hotel in Washington D.C. a few weeks ago. The confusing and seemingly unanswerable topic of defining the difference between ‘dry’ and ‘sweet’ wines came up. Here is a recap of the discussion that ensued:
Why the term DRY is so confusing:
The Guest: “what does the word ‘dry’ mean?” (these were all people serving wine for many, many years and no one has been able to answer the question for them!)
The Geek: The word ‘dry’ is a relative term meaning ‘not sweet’.
The Guest: “so Extra Dry means more dry?”
The Geek: sort of, but in Champagne it is a sign that it is actually pretty sweet. This is because Dry Champagne used to be really sweet by today’s standards, about twice as sweet as White Zinfandel today so Extra Dry used to mean more dry but now it means the wine not dry and it is pretty sweet.
The Guest: “if a wine says DRY on the label it will be dry?”
The Geek: well, almost any wine that states that it is dry is usually not dry, like “dry Riesling’ is usually really off-dry, meaning more dry then many yet still sweeter than most really dry wines. this means if the label says the wine is dry it is usually not.
The Guest:”why is it that Chardonnay so popular for so many people?”
The Geek: because it is sweet but the people drinking it think it is dry.
The Guest:”are all Chardonnays sweet?”
The Geek: sort of, and remember the word ‘dry’ is a relative word and that no wine is technically completely dry, different wines might be more or less dry.
The Guest: “red wines seem more dry – they dry out my mouth.”
The Geek: that is actually astringency so when a wine dries out your mouth that alone does not mean it is a dry wine. A wine can be sweet and dry out your mouth – like Port wines. They are sweet, not dry, but can dry out your mouth, so many people misconstrue that sensation for dryness in a wine.
The Guest: “Can I have a Cosmo please…”
The Real Answer:
DRY is a relative term meaning NOT SWEET. A completely DRY WINE is one in which the natural sugar in the grape has been completely fermented and no grape juice or other sweet substances are added back in. Sweet means simply what it means – the wine has sweetness.
For Example: Kiepersol Vit is a little bit sweet but it is a drier wine than our Moscato. Try them side by side and you will see! The Kiepersol Viognier is our driest (least sweet) white wine. That’s it!
Fun Factoid: Research shows that sweet wine drinkers have the most taste buds and should be encouraged to DEMAND the wines they love with or without the foods they love. If you love Kiepersol Moscato we recommend you try it with fish, chicken or steak. You will love it! Conversely if you love our intense red wines we invite you to do the same – enjoy the wines you enjoy the most with the foods you eat every day.