A full bodied white other than Chardonnay

[Yoli]

I would like taste the difference in a light, medium bodied, asnd full bodied white without using Chasrdonnay. I have a Muscadet and Gewurztraminer already.

[wondersofwine]

Condrieu is a rather full bodied white from the Viognier grape in Southern France. However, the Condrieu wines tend to be rather expensive. Perhaps someone else will come up with a cheaper alternative answer.

[Innkeeper]

Body has to do with mouth feel. Think skim milk, whole milk, heavy cream. Body is closely analogous to alcoholic content. Full body can usually be found in wines with over 12.5% alcohol.

WOW is in the right neck of woods with her recommendation. Rhone whites whether upper or lower; or from the Rhone or a New World Rhone type producer. I love Terre Rouge Enigma, Sierra Foothills. It is a blend of marsanne, viognier, and roussanne; and has 14.3% alcohol content. It runs $18. For much less you can pick up a Cotes Du Rhone Blanc with many of same characteristics. For American producers of these wines, check out: www.rhonerangers.com

[Thomas]

I am not 100% behind the alcohol-equals-body theory, although alcohol often does. There are other ways to come up with a full-bodied white wine. For example, the Muscadet that Yoli has is "Sur Lie," an appellation in Muscadet. Sur Lie means the wine rested on its lees (dead yeast cells) for a period of time, and was stirred every so often. While the wine posts 12.5% alcohol (not big) it is full in the mouth and nicely rounded--a result of the sur lie process.

Also, particular strains of yeasts can slow down the fermentation which has the added attraction of adding substance (body) to the wine. Some wines that undergo this process are Riesling and Gewurztraminer.

And then there is wood, which adds body, even if it adds too much offensive tastes to me...

In my view, to talk about body and structure it is best to concentrate on individual wines and the process by which they were produced.