miles wrote:

>>> Chablis,
>>
>> I assume you mean the generic white wine that's labeled Chablis, not
>> actually the much more distinctive wine from the Chablis region of
>> France?
>
> Yes. Since I was referring to most Americans the wines I refer to are
> US wines, primirily but not limited to California. Chablis in the USA
> is generally a rather low end entry level wine.

This is what you typically get if you order the "house white" at
many restaurants; they've got a box in the fridge ;-)

[...]

>> Actually, I've seen a lot of people start out with inexpensive
>> Chardonnay, much more than Sauvignon Blanc or non-blush roses.
>
> Sometimes. There is not solid progression. Depends on individuals.
> Sauvignon Blanc is generally a lighter wine than Chardonnay. I find
> beginners tend to shy away from full bodied wines.

I don't believe that most "beginners" are that structured. They order
the house white and drink up. House whites are either generic white
wine or low-end Chardonnay.

>> I rarely see people "starting" out on overtly sweet wines, though
>> the crowd-pleasing generic white blends tend to be off-dry.
>
> I see quite the opposite. When wine tasting with people who are not
> wine drinkers at all their first question is almost always "Do you have
> anything sweet?". They will easily accept off-dry such as White Zin as
> well.

If sweet wines really were popular as "beginner" wines, then Safeway
would have considerably more shelf-space dedicated to them :-) Yes,
I've heard people at tasting rooms ask "do you have anything sweet",
but the by-the-glass house wines at restaurants are not sweet wines.
I believe that when people are asking for "sweet" at tasting rooms,
they're really trying to find "soft".

>> I see beginners drinking medium-bodied (inexpensive) reds all the time.
>
> I don't see beginners drinking heavier wines at all. Not at first
> anyways. When visiting low end wineries in California that cater to
> beginners their selections tend to be lighter and sweeter. I do see
> some medium bodied reds but at these wineries their production levels
> are much smaller.

Could you give some examples of these "low end wineries" ?

Dana