Body

Body

Welcome to Vine to Wine, I’m your host Linda Moran.  Lately I have been pouring and tasting wine with many people who are new to wine and it has caused me to realize that every so often we need to review the terms used to describe wine. Yesterday we discussed the terms aroma and bouquet. Today let’s discuss a wine’s body.

Of the many terms used to describe wine, the one most often misunderstood in my wine classes is the term Body. Have you ever wondered what it means when a wine is referred to as Light Medium or Full bodied? First you must understand, the term Body has nothing to do with the flavor of the wine. Rather, it refers to the actual weight of the wine. The texture of the wine, and how it feels in your mouth, that is the body. Consider the differences in texture of milk; nonfat milk feels light and thin in your mouth, as compared to whole milk, which has a more substantial feeling, followed by cream, which is even thicker and clings and lingers in your mouth much longer. That analogy is a way for you to think about the thickness or body when you taste a wine. Swirl the wine in your glass and observe it. Does the wine cling to the insides of the glass and flow slowly down the sides? Or does it seem thin and light and not cling much at all?  If it lingers on the sides you have your first clue that this is probably a fuller bodied wine. A wine that is high in alcohol or is very sweet may have a more substantial mouth feel. They would be considered full-bodied wines. In short, body is the viscosity of the wine it’s the thickness and the texture of the wine in your mouth. With just a little practice, you will easily determine the body in your next glass of wine. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net, and thanks for joining me on today’s Vine to Wine.

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