What, exactly, is light-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 lower alcohol wine with less extract will feel lighter in the mouth – thus it’s perceived asWhat, exactly, is light-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 lower alcohol wine with less extract will feel lighter in the mouth – thus it’s perceived as light-bodied.
Alcohol is fairly straightforward. The more sugar there is in a grape, the more alcohol can be produced by fermenting that grape, and lower alcoholic content often translates to lighter-bodied wines. Wines can be lower in alcohol because of where they’re grown (cooler regions provide a shorter ripening time for 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. ...more ...less
Since white wine grapes tend to have fewer sugars, they also tend to be lower in alcohol. This combined with the fact that white grapes are also generally lower in extract than reds means that white wines are more likely to be light-bodied. Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Grigio, and Albariño are all grapes that tend towards light body, especially when grown in cooler regions or when picked early.
Red wines
Since white wine grapes tend to have fewer sugars, they also tend to be lower in alcohol. This combined with the fact that white grapes are also generally lower in extract than reds means that white wines are more likely to be light-bodied. Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Grigio, and Albariño are all grapes that tend towards light body, especially when grown in cooler regions or when picked early.
Red wines can also be light-bodied – often through a lack of tannin. Pinot Noir is a classic light-bodied red grape, with thin skins and an aromatic nature. Gamay (used in Beaujolias) is another red grape that can be light-bodied.
Through tasting and experience, you’ll be able to detect light-bodied wines, but the most important part is balance. Balance is what makes a wine come together. Though light-bodied wines can seem fairly straightforward and quaffable, a complete, balanced wine will have nuance even while being delicate. ...more ...less