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Body of wine

The body of wine describes how heavy and rich the wine tastes. It is a combination of several factors: grape variety, alcohol level, and even the degree of sweetness. Understanding the body of wine can help you find new favorite styles and varieties.


How to recognize the body of wine
It is easy to taste the difference between whole milk and skimmed milk because of the fat content. With wine, however, it is not so easy to determine the fullness of flavor, as it involves many factors.

Fortunately, there are some clues you can look for on a bottle of wine:

  • Alcohol level: Wines with an alcohol content above 14% tend to taste fuller.
  • Grape variety: Some grape varieties produce fuller wines (see below).
  • Aging in oak barrels: Like bourbon, wines aged in fresh oak barrels often taste fuller. Winemakers often mention aging in oak on the back label.
  • Climate type: Generally, grapes grown in warmer climates tend to produce richer, fuller wines (this depends on the producer!).
  • Residual sugar: Unfiltered sugars from grapes in wine increase its body without increasing sweetness. Unfortunately, this is not often stated on the wine label. Grape Variety vs. Wine Body Some grape varieties are known for their tendency to create a specific type of wine body.

Here are some examples to explore.

1. Light Red Wine

  • Cinsault
  • Frappato
  • Gamay
  • Pinot Noir

Generally speaking, light red wines have an average alcohol level, lower tannins, and less color. They often taste smooth due to the reduced tannin content (e.g., they are less astringent).

When grown in cooler climates, light red wines can taste a bit "sharp" or "spicy" due to increased acidity.

2. Medium-full red wines


These are wines suitable for pairing with food. The difference between medium-full and full-bodied wines has a lot to do with alcohol and acidity levels. People tend to perceive wines with higher acidity as lighter. So, grape varieties with more natural acidity often fall into the medium-full category.

Many wines are categorized this way due to production methods. For example, Merlot with lower alcohol content (below 14%) and less oak aging can also be medium-full.

3. Full-Bodied red wines


Wines suitable as a cocktail. Full-bodied red wines taste so rich that they can stand alone. What makes them taste so bold? High tannin content, higher alcohol, and lower acidity create a heavier taste.

Aging wines in oak barrels not only adds flavors of vanilla, cedar, and spices to the wine but also softens its taste.

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