Let’s talk about “Full Bodied”. What does that even mean?
You’re at a restaurant and the server asks you what you’d like to drink. You’re staring at the wine list as you confidently say, “I want a full bodied red.” You then look up to the server and wait for his suggestions. He doesn’t quite know where to steer you in the wine list with just this information, but regardless of what snobby columnists are trying to tell you, “full bodied” is a darn good start! You’ve pinned down a wine that has some weight to it, some heaviness, that whole milk feel rather than that nasty old nonfat. So screw those other guys, good for you!
So what exactly have you told your server, and not told him? You’ve given him some direction on wines to suggest. Typically, “full bodied” wines are thicker, bolder, more tannic, heavier in feel, higher in alcohol content, have a longer finish, and typically remind us of flavors like blackberry and blueberry. And they’re usually so dark that you can’t see through them.
Perhaps you just said that because you think that’s what you’re supposed to say and it sounds cool. That’s ok too. But let’s make sure you actually like full bodied wines. Bellow you’ll find examples of full bodied, medium bodied, and light bodied wines. Take a look, see if that matches up with what you are shooting for, and get to drinking what you like!
Full bodied: Bold grapes that coat the mouth, typically have higher booze, higher tannins, and remind us of dark purple fruits.
- Syrah
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot*
- Tempranillo
- Malbec
Medium bodied: The most versatile food wines because they won’t overpower most things you eat.
- Zinfandel
- Grenache
- Merlot*
- Cabernet Franc
Light Bodied: Rather delicate and light in aromas and texture, and typically have bright red fruit flavors and light tannins.
- Pinot Noir
- Gamay
- Cinsault
*Merlot is on both the Full and Medium lists because, like many wines, it changes significantly based on where it is grown. Simply separated by a mountain range, Napa and Sonoma will produce totally different styles of Merlot — the cooler Sonoma climate Merlot will have softer tannins and brighter red fruit flavors, whereas the heat of Napa will give it stronger tannins and darker fruit flavors.
Why do I only identify red wines above? Because we don’t generally concern ourselves with full bodied-ness when it comes to whites. In my experience, people only use that phrase when they’re talkin reds. That being said, there is certainly a distinction between full and light bodied whites — late harvest chardonnay would be the full (super viscous and high alcohol content), Chardonnay and Viognier (my fave white) would be the middle of the road but leaning towards a heavier side for standard whites, and Sauvingnon Blanc and Pinot Grigio would come in on the light side.
The moral of this story? It’s fantastic to give your server or your bartender or your helpful store clerk any information to go on so they can make a great recommendation for you that you’re going to love. Give them as much information as you can! I’ll give you the tools you need to be able to do that. And now that you know what “full bodied” really means, pour yourself a glass of something deep, dark, and heavy and see if that suits you. At the end of the day, you should drink what you like!
Cheers!
