When I first started to swirl, sniff and sip, it seemed that with the hundreds of American and French wineries selling wine that I would never ever be able to distinguish one from another. Considering the number of reds and whites as well as the ever-increasing vintages, the task seemed too immense, too confusing, and, frankly, quite daunting. “Why bother,” I thought. “Wine is wine.” It’s either red or white, and occasionally something in between. And, rather candidly, it all tasted somewhat alike. I was in a fog of blissful ignorance.

Then while browsing wine books in a bookstore I leafed through one whose contents grouped wines, and their underlying grape varieties, by body style. Up to that time my notion of body was ‘lean and athletic,’ ‘well rounded and cuddly,’ and ‘Oh my gosh Paul, look at that one.’ In this book, however, the divisions were on a more asexual vinous order. The author’s system seized my analytical mind. Hierarchy. Categories. Order. I loved it.

Body style became my navigator and the pivotal point in demystifying wines. I came to understand that wines, whether they were foreign or domestic, red or white, mono-varietal or blended, possessed an innate body style. Also, I noted that their intrinsic body (weight), very generally, tended to be light, medium, or full. And, at a closer, more attentive savoring, they would more likely be ‘light to medium’ or ‘medium to full’ or outright ‘full bodied.’ The haze was lifting. 

Body styles may be old news to you, but if not, be apprised that body relates to the impression or weight of the wine in your mouth. Certain wines, primarily because of higher alcohol levels, (there are other factors as well) have a heavier ‘mouth-feel’ than those at lower alcohol levels. (Generally, from 7.5% to 10.5% are considered light bodied; those above 13% are full; medium bodies are between those two.) Wines that have insufficient alcohol will seem thin and watery, and those with too much alcohol, while they might give you that cheerful buzz, will feel hefty and ‘hot.’ Neither makes particularly good food partners.

How does one distinguish the different body styles? Many suggest looking to milk for examples. Which has more mouth feel (weight) skim milk or regular? Regular or half and half? Half and half or whipping cream? Notice the movement up the viscosity scale? The same distinctions, though not quite so striking, are there in wines.

Those lactic examples are obvious because you know milk. That same awareness will evolve as you do slower, mindful savoring of your dinnertime wines. (Hint: check the bottle label for alcohol level and other winemaking details.) You will begin to discern, at least with respect to body, why you favor one wine over another. However, keep in mind that in a wine’s basic profile, body is but one component in its overall structure, just as there is more than meets the eye when boy sees body.

— Tom Barras