Originally Posted by
PVDProf
This is one of Mrs. PVDProf's favorites. More recently, she's taken to drinking <shudder> Sutter Home Moscato as table wine. As a (still) moscato, it is not terrible, but it is terrible cheap (<$5), so I can't complain (but I do drink something else).
What surprises me is the number of non-regular wine drinkers who try it and love it. I held a blind "intro to varietals" wine tasting for some friends a while ago and slipped the SHM in (as a joke, really), but almost everyone liked it and it was the favorite of almost half the attendees. From the perspective of showing them something they enjoy and can enjoy in the future, the tasting was a success.
(Personally, I see this as a gateway drug, and hope that in ten years, Mrs PVDProf will acquire a taste for drier wines split a bottle of something really good with me. For the moment, I can only order glasses when we go out to dinner.)
I think many people equate low alcohol content with sweet. Or pleasant. A vinho verde might be a nice place to start. Slightly bubbly with a low alcohol content. Other wines that are creamy or peachy in flavor would also be good choices. Start at 9-9.5% alcohol and work up from there. There might be some nice compromise choices. Sharing a bottle of wine is so lovely. By the glass--not so.