It was fun reading all of this, especially since it goes back to '06. That first post of Lars with the cherry cream soda...yummmy. I only consume coffee if it's ice cream, Kahlua or some other dessert. I like tea, black, green, but not any spiced teas. Really dislike mint too. Mostly I drink flavored unsweetened seltzer, iced tea or lemonade. Occasionally I'll have a fruit soda, but I find them too sweet these days so I mix them with my seltzer. Alcohol? Not really. Don't like wine as a rule. I can deal with a little champagne or Asti. Will drink vodka, that Kahlua making it a Black Russian. Smiles. I can go several years or more without having any alcohol. Last year I turned my current [at the time] vodka into vanilla. This fall an old friend from high school came to visit and brought a bottle of vodka. I had 2 light Cape Cods and when he left I turned the Svedka into vanilla. LOL. In winter in the evening we either have hot tea or hot cocoa often. I do love hot chocolate made with cocoa or even a nice chocolate bar.

Ann, try saving it to your Clippings. Look to the right of your last post (just above this). You will see the word Clippings in green letters. Under that it will say Clip This Post. For each recipe or comment you want to save, click on Clip This Post. Another way to do it is to highlight the entire thread, or the parts you want, right click with your mouse and then click on Copy. Start a new document in Word and paste the thread into that document, then save it to your computer. If you want me to do that for you and then email it to you, let me know.

The issue is not my personal knowledge, although I have tasted sweet reds, but would not have been able to name them. The issue was whether there are sweet reds...and there are. ETA: Okay, I remembered a varietal that I thought has some sweetness although I don't recall the vintner of the one I drank....so I looked up Nebbiolo and found this: from the Wine Spectator that used "sweet" in their notes (although I question the appeal of sawdust!): Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Pora Riserva 2009 Nebbiolo from Piedmont, Italy Winemaker's Notes Ruby red in color with bright ripe cherry and raspberry notes followed by an earthy complexity on the nose. This is a full-bodied and intense wine with rich tannins and a long finish. Critical Acclaim WS92 Wine Spectator - "Hints of sawdust, licorice and dried cherry render this complex. With air, notes of cherry and strawberry emerge. Sweet, rich and supported by fine tannins. Best from 2017 through 2028."

Specifically for general cooking, I have Madeira, Port, Marsala and sweet Sherry. They're in the cabinet by the stove. They're particular flavors, however, and stronger than just wine. They mostly get used by the splash (tablespoon to quarter cupful) rather than by the bottle. I do have a recipe or two that call for dry sherry, but I have to get that out of the liquor cabinet. ;) The Vermouth is too tall a bottle, so is in the pantry, but it's also very useful--the only use I have for it is in cooking. :) Even when it isn't oaked, I'm careful where I use a lot of Chardonnay because it's also a strong flavor. Some dishes can take it, some can't. Same for Cabernets. They're great with roasted red meats, but can be too assertive in general, even by the spoonful. Varietals that are light, cheap and good for cooking include Chablis and Riesling, if you want it more for the alcohol than flavor. For something a bit more vegetative and acidic, Sauvignon Blanc is good. Reds are more difficult because the cheap ones are worse. I use the ends of table Merlot and Pinot Noir, in general, rather than buying bottles of red for the pot, and I'll use old vine wine ends (Granacha, et al.) judiciously for a richer flavor. When I want a splash of sweet or heavy flavor, I use Madeira or Port. The tricky part is for a reduction. I spend a hefty chunk more for that than I usually do for the table because when you reduce it, you concentrate the flaws as well as the highlights. I don't have a single go to for that, and will choose depending on what's on sale and will go with my dish. One thing to keep in mind when you're cooking with wine is that while the flavor of alcohol cooks off fairly quickly, the alcohol content does not. In most cooking styles and times, it will mostly remain.