From: http://www.foodreference.com/html/artliebfraumilch.html "One of Germany’s most famous wines is Liebfraumilch. However, its fame remains restricted to export markets and very few Germans would even consider buying bottle for even everyday consumption. This medium dry, fragrant, light, and quaffable wine is originally from the vineyards surrounding the Liebfrauenstift Church (Church of Our Lady) on the outskirts of the town of Worms on the Rhine River." Blue Nun, Black Tower, Madonna, and Hockprinz are some popular brands. Disclaimer: I am far from a wine connoisseur. If you intend to get serious about wine, ask at a good wine store.

Any number of wines made from grapes such as Gewurztraminer and Riesling. These can have a very aromatic bouquet and a crisp taste. Note that a wine can be fermented bone dry and still retain sweetness, because of unfermentable sugars in the fruit. No good wine should be bitter. If it is, it has gone bad and should be poured. Red wines may have a noticeable tannic flavour, which is enhanced or exagerrated by serving them at too low a temperature. Reds are often sold when they are quite young and may have a distictive 'oak' flavour. Some wines are very heavily oaked and may taste rough, something which mellows with age. With many reds, the age they are sold at is the minimum age at which they should be consumed (e.g., a five-year old Barolo is liable to be quite rough). Your sales agent should be able to provide assistance in this regard or you can find the information yourself. That said, some red wines never improve with age. Cheap reds often accompany the BBQ, with its strong flavours, quite adequately.

I am assuming that by 'brand', you mean variety or type. Most brands, i.e. companies, market a range of wines, from very dry to somewhat sweet. Different brands will be sold in different areas of the country. If you live in a wine growing area, you will have a nice selection of local products to choose from . A soft and fruity Beaujolais Nouveau is usually on the sweet side, although connoisseurs might argue about the term 'sweet'. Also, although it is not strictly a wine, a nice ruby port goes down fairly well; it is a fortified wine that is usually served with dessert or savouries, but in times past was served with dinner. If in doubt, do not hesitate to get free advice from the staff at a good wine shop.

A Riesling would make a good choice for someone who prefers a sweet tasting wine (that is not a dessert wine). Some Gewurtaminers are also sweet. Here are some specific wineries that you might want to try: Fetzer Bonny Doon Covey Run Hogue Chateau St. Michellle

There are some very good answers here, but here are some other wines to think about. First, just because you want a wine that isn't bitter, doesn't mean that you have to have a sweet wine. There are a great number of white wines that will probably suit you without being heavily sweet. But hey, if you want it sweet, then you will be spoiled for choices. The advice about finding a wine shop with knowledgeable staff, great. Listen to them and don't be afraid to try new things. They will get better at helping you the more you visit them (even if it is for a couple of bottles at a time). Also check if there is a tasting schedule or tasting bar. That will make it easier to find the wines you like. While we're talking Loire, try Chenin Blanc or Vouvray (if it is a French wine and you like a slightly sweeter wine, look for Demi-sec on the label). There are also some nice South African versions on the market. There are a wealth of drier Chenin Blancs on the market that might suit you if you don't want it too sweet.Please, ask your consultant to find something "without oak". You'll be glad you did. Semillon is another wine grape that might suit you if you like a drier wine. There are some great blends from Washington state that use semillon to great effect. But don't be afraid to ask for a white Bordeaux in the 8-14 USD range. Look for Moscato d'Asti. It is usually lightly sparkling (frizzante) and on the sweeter side. It is absolutely delicious and if you are sharing the bottle, go ahead and get two (it's usually around 6-8% ABV). This is the grown-up version of Asti Spumante and is worth a try even if *you* are a grown-up. Red is a little trickier. As someone mentioned, tannin is probably what makes it bitter to you. Ask for wines that are no oak or low oak. You should also use the term soft a lot when talking to your consultant (low tannin). Beaujolais Nouveau is a good idea, but don't look for it until just before Thanksgiving. It is only released on the third Thursday in November and is usually off the shelves by late January or early February. However, Beaujolais is available all year round. Look (or ask) for the basic Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages (don't get into specific villages until you've tried a couple - or you've got a hot tip). Try out Spanish reds. Best to be careful here, but if you see a stack of case boxes under a Spanish red wine for about 7-10 USD it's a pretty good bet that you'll find a soft, drinkable red that you can come back for. Wines that have been good for me in the past (don't know how they stack up now) have been: Penascal, Borsao, Vina Amelia. Look for Montepulciano from Italy in the under 10USD range. Masciarelli should be a great one, but I don't know what the price is like now. Just make sure it doesn't say "Vino Nobile di Montepulciano" on it (let's walk before we swim here, OK? Great wine but greatly tannic). Ok. I'm going to say it. Merlot. But take this piece of advice. Go to your wine shop (you do have one now, don't you?) and ask your favorite consultant what their best selling merlot under 10USD is. Tell them you don't want a lot of oak, it should be pretty soft and it doesn't have to have an animal on the label. Take that bottle home and try it out. It could be from France. It could be from Chile. It could be from Australia, or it might not be merlot, but "a great wine from Spain that we're selling the h@ll out of". Finally, Try rose. Even some of the drier European styles probably won't come across as particularly bitter and are great for the summer. Most roses do not have much in the way of tannin and are usually a lot more interesting than the sweeter styles that pervade the market. Look for wines from the Rhone valley (or Rhone style from outside france). Some great ones from Spain are becoming quite popular. They are getting easier to find. Although Rose d'Anjou is a very enjoyable rose on the sweeter side. Port is great and if you like it sweet, then also try some of the sweeter sherries. Ask for Lustau if you get the chance. Pedro Ximenez: it's not your grandmothers cream sherry (although Lustau makes a nice Cream and an Amontillado too). A caveat: ports and sherries can get expensive quickly, so be prepared if you develop a taste for them. Get your consultant to talk to you about German wine (or better yet, ask when the next German tasting is). Good luck and good drinking!

You are looking more for a type of wine than a brand. I suggest you stick to white (no peel in the fermenting), non-oak-aged, later harvest wines. Reisling, White Merlot (really a blush), and Savignon Blanc are good choices. Muscat is a good starter wine that isn't too sweet (at least, not to a beginner's taste). There are also some sweeter red wines, although you have to know what you are looking for. A Merlot or Cabernet Savignon will not be to your taste. Some of the Greek dessert wines are rather sweet, as are some red table wines. I've heard many recommend a Reunite Lambrusco to beginners, as the author of this article does. http://www.wines.com/winepress/mead/mowj-32.html

Oliver Winery out of...believe it out not...Bloomington, Indiana has great sweet wines. Their soft red and white wines are great. Moscato is also a pretty sweet white wine. Porte is also a sweet red wine but is much stronger.

These are all good suggestions if you are trying to impress someone - possibly yourself? If you are just drinking alone Ripple is available in many sweet and tasty varieties and it comes in a convenient single-serving screw-top bottle. I suggest you start with the Pear Ripple or perhaps the ever-popular Pagan Pink. Enjoy! . . . . Be sure to show all comments.