Attention dry wine drinkers… reading any further can be injurious to your wine drinking habits.

Wine gurus, commentators, writers and even self styled experts have, for years, sneered at the sweet wines and often refer to them as “cheap, gaudy harlots.” These same sweet wine detractors however, all rave and laud the attributes of Port, Bordeaux’s Sauternes and ice wines, all of which are incredibly sweet. Duh!
Sweet wine lovers, it is time to unite and storm the bastions of the snobs and demand that the sweet wines of the world be honored as are their beloved dry wines. Sweet wine lovers too have rights and their choices should also be honored. In an attempt to rectify this unfair situation we devote this column to the sweet wines and their brave and resolute advocates.

Barefoot Cellars Riesling ($6.99). Barefoot Cellars is a firm advocate of sweet wines. They also make a host of dry wines, but their sweet wines are something special. The wine displays the traditional melding of the floral aromas, the fruity flavors of pink grapefruit with a hint of melon. Although this wine is not of German origin, it definitely deserves your attention; it got ours.

Barefoot Cellars Sweet Red ($6.99). Hooray, a sweet red wine that offers wine lovers a red wine that possesses all of the health giving attributes of a red wine and is neither dry, stiff nor unapproachable by sweet wine drinkers; a wine they can truly enjoy. This wine is not made from cheap grapes but is a blend of some of the most popular and flavorful red wines grapes; tempranillo, pinot noir, zinfandel and petit syrah.

Barefoot Cellars Moscato ($6.99). This wine is sweet, but not sugary because it derives its sweetness from the natural sugars in the grape. The aroma is heavy with the perfume of apricot, orange blossom and lilac. On the palate a slight petulance highlights the flavors of, ripe pears with a background of lemon which continues through to the finish making this a very pleasant and easy wine to enjoy.

Umberto Fiore 2010 Moscato d’Asti ($14.99). This is a unique wine where the beautiful aromas of the grapes are enhanced by a crisp acidity, a finely tuned carbonation and the sweetness of the natural sugars. The bouquet is refreshing and delicate accenting peach, pear and the characteristic orange blossom fragrance of the Moscato grape.

Two oceans 2011 South African Moscato ($9.99). This wine displays all of the beauties that can be derived from South African grapes. The weather and the soil combine to create grapes of extraordinary flavor. The very prominent aroma and flavor of orange jam is augmented by the unmistakable mineral component imparted by the soil. The finish is long and complex stressing pears and that typical orange blossom derived from the muscat grape. As with all South African wines, we loved it.

Yarden 2008 Galilee Muscat ($18). From the heart of the grape growing district of Israel, the Golan Heights, comes a wine that historians believe is the closest to the wines of Biblical times, It is believed that the grapes used in ancient times was either the muscat we know today or a distant relative. This wine displays the muscat signature of orange marmalade, lemon rind with a background of spice and vanilla. Our suggestion, grab you toga and drink like the ancients.

Ricossa 2008 Moscato d’Asti ($14). Ricossa 2008 Moscato d’Asti is a unique wine where the beautiful aromas of the grapes are enhanced by a crisp acidity, a light fizziness and the sweetness of the natural residual sugar. The bouquet is refreshing and delicate accenting aromas of peach, pear and the characteristic orange blossom fragrance of the Moscato grape Fine creamy sparkle on the palate with summer fruit followed by a long, ripe peach finish with hints of the low alcohol content makes it a very easy and pleasant wine to enjoy. This is one of the finest wines for sipping on a cool crisp spring evening.