From Light to Heavy

[Thomas]

It's a little off, but still on the subject: in the US alcohol content by volume is not required on the label--the words Table Wine are a legal definition of alcohol by volume between 8 and 15%. Some small wineries use that term instead of the actual numbers. The reason they do it: it is quite expensive to buy the equipment (ebulliometer) necessary to measure alcohol, and the measurement is not accurate, which is why the BATF allows a 1.5% leeway even when the alcohol content is listed; 12% listed could be as low as 10.5 or as high as 13.5.

But on the subject of body, IK tells the truth. The problem is, with that kind of labeling confusion it isn't clear cut that you will know the body of the wine by its listed alcohol content--the Portuguese wine IK refers to is a case in point.

Also, there are so many wines and styles of production that it is rather futile to attempt to list them by the weight or body. Some, however, are clear: Amarone, for instance, should always be a big-bodied wine...