🍷 Body (wine)
The sense of a wine's weight in the mouth, from light as water to thick as cream.
Body is the sense of the wine's weight in the mouth. One wine feels light, like water, another thick and dense, like cream. It is one of the main descriptors in wine tasting, alongside aroma, acidity and tannin.
Body can be light, medium or full. What does it depend on? First of all on alcohol: the stronger the wine, the "heavier" it feels. Glycerol adds body too: it forms during fermentation and gives the wine softness. Dry extract, sugar, tannin, ageing and climate also play a role: in warm places wines are often denser.
Light body is typical of wines like Muscadet or Mosel Riesling. Full body is typical of strong reds and aged whites. Full body is not simply better: it all depends on taste and occasion. Light wines are good in the heat and with snacks, full ones with meat and in cold weather. Body is tied to wine in general and helps describe its style.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the body of a wine?
The sense of weight of the wine in the mouth, from light as water to thick as cream.
What does the body of wine depend on?
Alcohol, glycerol, sugar, tannin and the total amount of dry extract.
Is full body better?
No, it is just a style: light wines are good in the heat, and full ones with meat and in cold weather.
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