We’ve all seen the literature written about how the French stay remarkably thin despite their decadent multi-course lifestyle. Some call it the French Paradox, which has sent millions of people in search of the miracle liquids of Pinot Noir and Merlot (a topic for another post), others might call it genetics. But, whatever the case may be, the French remain lean and sophisticated, just like their wines…which got me to thinking.
To the Europeans, Americans are known for being boisterous, proud, enthusiastic people that are… you guessed it, FAT! While obesity might be a problem that America is fighting on a daily basis, it isn’t such a bad thing when it comes to our most prized wines.
So what does it mean to be a “Fat” wine?
You will often find the term in association with New World (especially Californian) Chardonnays. It simply means that the wine is more fruity than it is acidic. The generous fruit concentration of warmer climates can create great fat wines that are round, well structured, and buttery. But be careful because, just like women, voluptuous wines are wonderful, but you wouldn’t want anything too flabby or missing that nice acidic bite.
On the contrary, French Chardonnays are often referred to as being lean, which describes the high acidity and low fruit concentration. You will often see this in reference to Burgundy whites that have nice acidity and minerality.
I recently put this French/American stereotype to the test and tasted a Rutherford Ranch 2006 Chardonnay (Napa Valley) next to a Domaine Moillard 2005 Pouilly-Fuissé (Burgundy). The result was exactly what I expected. The Rutherford was a mouthful of peaches and nectarines, with layers of vanilla and oak, and, of course, butter. The Domaine Moillard was elegant with a bright acidity and notes of pear, pineapple, and minerality.
While it is often the case that American wines are “fat,” with their French counterpart being “lean.” It is important to remember that this isn’t always true. Just as there are some overweight French people (just think of Asterix’s sidekick Obelix), there are some fat French wines that come mostly from the Rhône region where the climate is hotter and produces a higher sugar concentration in the grapes.
And, just for clarification, lean wines have just as many calories as fat ones, so drink up!
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