What, exactly, is full bodied wine? It’s all a matter of sensation. When you taste wine, it can feel light bodied, more like skim milk, or full bodied, more like whole milk (and there’s 2% for medium bodied, of course). With milk, it’s the fat that creates the mouthfeel, while with wine it’s alcohol and extract. A higher alcohol wine with more extract will feel fuller in the mouth –What, exactly, is full bodied wine? It’s all a matter of sensation. When you taste wine, it can feel light bodied, more like skim milk, or full bodied, more like whole milk (and there’s 2% for medium bodied, of course). With milk, it’s the fat that creates the mouthfeel, while with wine it’s alcohol and extract. A higher alcohol wine with more extract will feel fuller in the mouth – thus it’s perceived as full bodied. ...more ...less
Alcohol is fairly straightforward. The more sugar there is in a grape, the more alcohol can be produced by fermenting that grape. Wines can be higher in alcohol because of where they’re grown (warmer regions produce riper grapes) or because of the grape variety (some grapes ripen earlier than others). Extract is a tiny bit more complicated, but essentially it means the sugars, phenolics (tannins and color pigments), and otherAlcohol is fairly straightforward. The more sugar there is in a grape, the more alcohol can be produced by fermenting that grape. Wines can be higher in alcohol because of where they’re grown (warmer regions produce riper grapes) or because of the grape variety (some grapes ripen earlier than others). Extract is a tiny bit more complicated, but essentially it means the sugars, phenolics (tannins and color pigments), and other substances that are a natural byproduct of the winemaking process.
Since red wines tend to have more sugars, they also tend to be higher in alcohol. This, combined with the fact that reds are also generally higher in extract than white wines means that red wines are more likely to be full bodied. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Malbec are all grapes that tend towards full body, especially when grown in warmer regions.
White wines can also be full bodied – often through extract or residual sugar. Riesling is an example of a white grape that can be full bodied via either of these properties. Through oak treatment or high alcohol, Chardonnay is another white grape that can be full bodied.
Through tasting and experience, you’ll be able to detect full-bodied wines, but the most important part is balance. Balance is what makes a wine come together. Though full bodied wines stand out because of their boldness, a complete wine will have complimentary acidity, alcohol, tannin, and structure. ...more ...less