Medium Bodied and Full Bodied White Wines

Light bodied white wines are a great place to start when learning about and tasting wines.  They are fresh and crisp with bright fruit flavors and high acidity.  So the next step up is into medium bodied and full bodied whites.

As I have been researching and putting together notes on white wines, I've found that it's been tough, as expected, to describe and define a wine's body.  That's because there are not strong lines between the categories of light, medium and full bodied wines.  But the characteristics of alcohol levels, tannin, residual sugar and acidity do give some basic guidance on a wine's body.

While white wine with less than 12.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) would be considered light bodied, medium bodied white wines are said to have 12.5% to 13.5% ABV and full bodied white are those with greater than 13.5% ABV. These are general guidelines, but at least this is one of the few characteristics that is actually shown on a wine's label (ABV percentage is legally required to be printed somewhere on a bottle of wine).

A wine's residual sugar (RS) is also a telling characteristic of its body, but it is directly related to a wine's alcohol level. The lower the alcohol level, the more residual sugar; the higher the alcohol level the lower the alcohol level. So you can expect a light bodied, lower alcohol, wine to have some residual sugar and to have a slightly sweet taste.  The medium and full bodied white wines will have higher alcohol, lower RS and little to no sweetness to them.

The acidity of medium and full bodied white wines is much lower than light body whites.  While the acidity in a light bodied white wine will give it a bright, crisp and mouth watering finish, medium and full bodied white wines will not. These will be richer and smoother.

And finally, there's the characteristic of tannin. This is something that isn't really a factor in white wines. Tannins come from the grapes skin, seeds and stems.  Most every white wine is pressed and the juice is immediately separated from the skins, seeds and stems. So tannin levels are next to zero.  So called "Orange" wines are made from white wine grapes and they to get contact time with the grape skins, seed and stems, giving them the characteristic light orange color (not the flavor of an orange). Tannins do play a huge roll in red wines and we'll say more about this when we address the medium and full bodied red wines in future postings.

In addition these four characteristics, one must consider that a wine's body is also influenced by the wine maker.  The grape variety isn't necessarily the key to determining the body of a wine. Take Chardonnay for example. A Chardonnay that is produced in stainless steel or concrete tanks is considered light bodied. But, if the wine maker chooses to age the Chardonnay in neutral oak it's going to be medium bodied. A Chardonnay that goes through the addition step of Malolactic Fermentation and is aged in new oak will be full bodied.  So, it isn't just the grape variety that determines a wine's body, it's also how it's made.

While Chardonnay is a great example of a medium or full bodied white wine, there are certainly others. And we'll get to them next time. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week

Tangent Edna Valley Albariño ($12)

This week's wine is an Albariño (Ahi-bah-REE-nyoh) from California's Edna Valley. This grape is indigenous to northwestern Spain where it thrives in the cool western climate.  California's Edna Valley too has the cool nights and warm days necessary to grow great Albariño. This light to medium bodied wine is crisp with bright acidity and has delicate flavors of mandarin orange and tangerine peel. Unique characteristics of wines from this grape include a very subtle saline flavor (i.e., salty) and a smooth, slippery, almost oily, mouth-feel. It does sound that there's a lot going on in this wine, but it is actually a very crisp and refreshing wine that goes with lot of foods, especially fish.

One additional note on this grape.  In Portugal, this is called Alvarinho (Ahi-vah-REE-nyoh) and is used to make that country's famous white wine, Vinho Verde.

Light Bodied White Wines Are a Great Place to Start

Last time we took a quick look at one of the characteristics of wine, its body.  A wine's body is simply based on how it feels in your mouth. And a wine's body is affected by its alcohol level, tannin, acidity and sweetness. And each plays a role. So let's explore light bodied wines a bit more. 

Light bodied wines are typically considered to be delicate with subtle flavors. Of the four previously mentioned characteristics of a wine, light bodied wines are lower in alcohol (generally below 12.5%), lower in tannin and sweetness, while being higher in acidity.

For this post, the light bodied wines being discussed are dry white wines.  There are red wines that are considered light bodied (e.g., Gamay and Pinot Noir) but that's relative to other reds, and will be the subject of a future posting.

Light white wines can have herbal, citrus, floral and aromatic tendencies.  The most commonly known light bodied white wine is Sauvignon Blanc (which is labeled as Sancerre, and Pouilly Fumè in France for the regions where it is grown). This is a wonderfully fresh, zippy and refreshing wine. When it is produced in cooler regions (e.g., New Zealand), it can take on aromas of herbs and vegetables such as tarragon, celery, freshly mowed grass and green peppers.  In warmer regions (e.g., California), Sauvignon Blanc transitions to the tropical and citrus fruit flavors such as green melon, grapefruit and lime. This is a wine that is widely popular and goes great with so many foods such as shellfish and soft cheeses.

Other light bodied whites that tend toward citrus and crisp fruit flavors include Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris), French Chablis, Albariño, Grenache Blanc, Vinho Verde. Unoaked Chardonnays also tend to be crisp and fresh with green apple and citrus flavors.

Light bodied white wines such as Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Muscat Blanc tend to be very aeromatic with highly perfumed floral aromas of sweet fruit. Pinot Blanc, Verdicchio and Vermentino also typically have floral tendencies.

All of these light bodied white wines are able to retain their fruity characteristics by being fermented in stainless steel or concrete tanks versus oak barrels that can add additional flavors and aromas to a wine.

Light bodied white wines are a great place to start if you are just getting into tasting and learned about wines.  They are generally served cold and easy on the palette.  But don't get me wrong. Many of the wines in this category are highly praised, enjoyed by collectors and connoisseur alike and can demand high prices throughout the world. But, they are also some of the most approachable wines.  So try one of these. I think you'll like them. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week

Hanna Winery & Vineyards Russian River Sauvignon Blanc ($14)

This week's wine is a great, crisp and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc from Hanna Winery & Vineyards. Summertime is a great time for a Sauvignon Blanc with its bright acidity and hints of lemon, grapefruit and peach. And, as is becoming increasingly available, this wine is Vegan Friendly. 

What's a Good Wine to Buy?

It's a question that constantly comes up. "What's a good wine to buy?"  Or there are the related questions of "What wine should I drink?" or "What wine do you recommend?"  These are all great questions that are well intended whether from someone who knows little about wine or someone with significant experience with wines. And while my fundamental philosophy is that you should drink what you like, there are some guidelines when trying to identify wines that you may like.

One of the many keys to understanding wines and to determining what you might like is the characteristic of 'body.'  In general, wines get categorized into three groups: Light bodied, medium bodied and full bodied. While these categories may seem obvious to some, the subject of a wine's body is a bit difficult to explain. It takes time and wine tasting experience to gain a full appreciation. But let's give it a quick try.

The body of a wine is based on multiple things, but mostly how it feels in your mouth. Full bodied wines are typically described as big, bold and powerful, having more tannin and dark fruit flavors. On the other end of the spectrum, light bodied wines are usually considered delicate, with subtle flavors, and bright acidity.

The alcohol content of a wine also strongly influences a wines body. In general, a wine with an alcohol content below 12.5% is considered a light bodied wine. If the alcohol content is 12.5% to 13.5% it is considered medium bodied. And any wine with alcohol greater than 13.5% is considered full bodied (remember that by law a wine label must list it's percent alcohol, though it's usually in fine print). 

So next time we'll get into exploring more about light, medium and full bodied wines. Once you get an understanding and appreciation for these categories, it starts to help answer those questions regarding which wines to drink. And once we narrow things down to the best category for your palette, we'll then begin exploring specific wines in those categories and others with similar characteristics. Until then, Cheers!