In recent months, I have come across a number of wine books that have caught my attention. Three stood out for me, each of which I would recommend for people who love wine or are interested in learning more about it. I’m presenting the books in alphabetical order, since my recommendation for you would depend on your level of wine knowledge and your depth of interest in wine.

The New York Times Book of Wine: More Than 30 Years of Vintage Writing by Howard G. Goldberg
This book is a compilation of 156 excellent articles that have appeared in the New York Times wine column since 1972. As Eric Asimov says, “This anthology chronicle’s wine’s coming of age in the United States, from an American point of view.” One thing I noticed was that in the early years, the wine column seemed to provide a lot of introductory information, most likely because of the lack of knowledge among most Americans about wine forty years ago. Today, the average American knows much more about wine, and the most recent articles reflect that assumption about Times readers.

Here’s a baker’s dozen of my favorite articles from this book:

1. “Pop Goes the Critic” by Eric Asimov
2. “Talk Dirt to Me” by Harold McGee and Daniel Patterson
3. “A Rule Just Waiting to Be Broken” by Eric Asimov
4. “The Tastes of Walla Walla, Secret No More” by R.W. Apple, Jr.
5. “Port Is a Welcome Guest at Cocktail Parties” by Eric Asimov
6. “Natural Winemaking Stirs Debate” by Eric Asimov
7. “Pickers to Vintners: A Mexican-American Saga” by Eric Asimov
8. “Bordeaux Loses Prestige Among Younger Wine Lovers” by Eric Asimov
9. “South African Goes From Never a Sip to Vineyard Fame” by Barry Bearak
10. “In Albuquerque, French-Style Wines That Sparkle” by Sarah Kershaw
11. “His Big Idea is to Get Small” by Eric Asimov
12. “The Greatest Vintages of Alfred Knopf, 90” by Terry Robards
13. “Jefferson On Wine: The Only Antidote to the Bane of Whiskey” by Howard G. Goldberg

Kevin Zraly’s Windows on the World Complete Wine Course by Kevin Zraly
This wine education classic is now available in paperback for the first time in more than twenty years, and it’s in a multi-platform edition for today’s techno-savvy student. Three million copies of this book have been sold since 1985, proving its depth and durability.

I’ve been a fan of Kevin and his work for many, many years. His ability to make a complex subject interesting, educational, and fun is without parallel. Last year, he celebrated his 40th year of teaching about wine, and it was the 35th anniversary of his Windows on the World Wine School.

You might be thinking, haven’t I heard about Windows on the World? Yes, you have. The Windows on the World Restaurant was on the 107th floor of the ill-fated One World Trade Center in New York City. Kevin Zraly was hired in April 1976 as the cellar master of the soon-to-be-opened restaurant and taught the Windows on the World Wine School there for the next 25 years until September 11, 2001. He was not in the restaurant on the morning of September 11th but lost a number of colleagues and friends. The wine school still continues today in a different location.

I believe that this book is one of two books, along with Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine, that every wine enthusiast needs in their library.

The One Minute Wine Master: Discover 10 Wines You’ll Like in 60 Seconds or Less by Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, MW
This book is excellent for the wine newbie who wants to know what kind of wine he or she will probably like best but doesn’t want to spend much time finding out. While the book is 170+ pages, the meat of it is on pages 52-54. The so-called One Minute Wine Master Quiz is on pages 52 and 53. It consists of eleven questions, none of which do you need to know anything about wine to answer. Once you tally your score, you turn over to page 54 to the Answer Wheel to find out what “season” the author believes you fit into and a list of wines that fit into that “season”.

Ms. Simonetti-Bryan, the author, is a Master of Wine, the highest wine credential you can earn. She is one of only four women in the United States to achieve this distinction. She is a top judge in wine and spirits competitions around the world and the winner of the 2008 Tasting Trophy by the Institute of Masters of Wine.

Just for fun, the four of us Wine Peeps took her one-minute quiz in the book to see if we thought it would have helped us when we were starting out in wine. For three of the four of us, the prediction of what we “should” like aligned very closely with our “actual” favorite type of wine.

My conclusion was to recommend the book as a good tool for the wine newbie, realizing that while it will probably make good suggestions for the type of wine you might like, it won’t actually help you select a particular bottle from a certain producer in the wine shop or from a restaurant wine list. For that next step, you can look to someone like us here at Wine Peeps for recommendations. Once you’ve determined the type of wine you’d like to try, I encourage you to check out our categories list on the right side of the site or to use the search box on the top right of our site.

Happy holiday shopping! Cheers!

Full Disclosure: We received these books as review copies.

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is lees.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Lees is the Old English word for the dregs or sediment that settles at the bottom of a container such as a fermentation vessel. Wine lees are made up of dead yeast cells, grape seeds, pulp, stem and skin fragments, and insoluble tartrates that are deposited during the making and aging of wine.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Lees is the sediment that settles in the bottom of tanks, vats, and barrels during fermentation.

Pecan pie is one of the Wine Peeps’ favorite desserts. In fact, it is John’s absolute favorite! Kori is actually the pecan pie maker in the family; although, I made the one for this challenging wine pairing. Each year, Kori makes pecan pie for her dad’s birthday in November as well as for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Let’s just say that we enjoy a lot of pecan pie in the fall. Pecan pie is very rich, but, oh, so good! Since the holiday season is rapidly approaching, we thought it would be fun to try some dessert wines with our go-to holiday dessert.

To determine which dessert wines to try, once again I referred to my favorite resource, What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. This time, rather than referring to the book itself, I used the What to Drink with What You Eat app on my iPhone. (So handy!) I decided to go with Sherry and Sauternes and selected the Alvear Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927 from Spain and the 2005 Chateau Guiraud Sauternes from France. Both wines were delicious; however, the Sherry was the unanimous choice as the best pairing with the pecan pie. When you are pairing with a sweet dessert, you want the wine to be at least as sweet as the food. Sipping a really sweet wine like this Alvear Pedro Ximenez with a really sweet dessert like pecan pie, the sweetness level actually seems to go down and the flavors really come together.

What would you have paired with this dessert? It is always great to hear your thoughts. Also, please share your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

Alvear Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927 (Montilla-Moriles, Spain): 100% Pedro Ximenez. Dark amber brown. Very aromatic with raisins and molasses on the nose. More raisins and molasses as well as chocolate and prunes come through on the palate. Very sweet and medium to full-bodied. Well-balanced and smooth with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine Exchange (California), $16 [375ml]; Available elsewhere, $17 to $50

2005 Chateau Guiraud Sauternes (Sauternes, Bordeaux, France): Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Medium golden yellow. Nice nose with honey and peach aromas. Honey, peach, mango, and almonds come through on the palate. Sweet and medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: K & L Wine Merchants (California), $30 [375ml]; Available elsewhere, $34 to $60

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2010 Mercer Estates Riesling from the Yakima Valley of Washington State.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Mercer Estates is a family-owned winery located in Prosser, Washington. The family has a long history in the Washington wine industry with more than 25 years of grape growing and winemaking experience. Mercer Estates’ vineyards are located in the Horse Heaven Hills and the Yakima Valley. Jessica Munnell serves as winemaker for Mercer Estates, following in the footsteps of their founding winemaker, David Forsyth, who left earlier this year to focus on his own winery.

“Delicate aromas of peach, apricot and beeswax in the nose are confirmed on the palate along with a mouthwatering acidic frame, revealing a hint of sweetness. Well-balanced of acid and residual sugar, this dryer-style Riesling is a refreshing aperitif or a delicious companion to crab cakes, bleu cheese and spicy foods.” –Founding winemaker David Forsyth

2010 Mercer Estates Riesling (Yakima Valley, Washington): 100% Riesling. Pale, greenish yellow. Aromatic with peach and petrol on the nose. Lemon zest and honeysuckle come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish. Residual Sugar: 0.99%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $14.99; Available elsewhere, $11 to $15

Founded in 1995, Planeta Winery encompasses six distinct wine estates throughout Sicily. The Planeta philosophy is, “For each terroir, its own winery.” Planeta has tried to identify the area within Sicily where certain varieties grow best and then has established a boutique winery with its own surrounding vineyard in that respective area. Planeta’s boutique wineries include Ulmo at Sambuca di Sicilia, Dispensa at Menfi, Dorilli at Vittoria, Buonivini at Noto, Sciara Nuova on Etna at Castiglione di Sicilia, and the new winery, La Baronia at Capo Milazzo. Earlier this year, Planeta hired French consultants Florent Dumeau and Xavier Chone to help them further their terroir-based approach. Planeta’s total annual production is about 20,000 cases.

Winemaker Alessio Planeta, his brother Santi Planeta, and their cousin Francesca Planeta established the winery, but numerous Planeta family members are involved in the operation. Francesca’s father, Diego Planeta, is a pioneer in the Sicilian wine industry and has served as president of the highly regarded wine cooperative, Settesoli, for many years. He was instrumental in introducing international grape varieties to Sicily as well as researching indigenous varieties. In 1989, Alessio and enologist Carlo Corino began experimenting with grape varieties and working to match each variety to its ideal soil and terroir. Their work ultimately led to the site selection for the Planeta wine estates.

Recently, Dad (John) and I had the pleasure to attend a luncheon with Francesca Planeta at Seattle’s Barolo Ristorante and taste through six of Planeta’s current releases. The wines were all very good and paired wonderfully with each course. We were especially impressed with the 2010 Cometa, the 2007 Santa Cecilia, and the 2010 Passito di Noto.

If you have not yet tried any Planeta wines, I encourage you to give them a try if you see them on the shelf at a wine shop or on a restaurant wine list. And, if you find yourself in Sicily, I highly recommend a visit to one of Planeta’s six estates. I haven’t been there myself; but if the pictures are an accurate reflection, they look amazing.

2011 Planeta La Segreta Bianco Sicilia IGT (Sicily): 50% Grecanico, 30% Chardonnay, 10% Viognier, and 10% Fiano. Medium greenish straw yellow. Nice nose with bright, fresh tropical and citrus fruit aromas. More citrus fruit as well as melon come through on the palate. Light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish. Pairing: Served as an aperitif
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Suggested retail, $15; Available elsewhere, $9 to $17

2010 Planeta Carricante Sicilia IGT (Castiglione di Sicilia, Mount Etna, Sicily): 100% Carricante. Medium straw yellow. Aromatic with fresh apple, pear, and minerality on the nose. Green apple, pear, and a touch of pineapple come through on the palate. Light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, fresh finish. Pairing: Insalata di polipo (octopus salad)
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Suggested retail, $36; Available elsewhere, $30 to $31

2010 Planeta Cometa Fiano Sicilia IGT (Menfi, Sicily): 100% Fiano. Medium golden yellow. Nice nose with lemon and floral aromas. Very rich and mouth-filling with lemon, tropical, and floral notes on the palate. Medium-bodied and lively. Well-balanced with a long finish. Pairing: Branzino (seabass)
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Suggested retail, $43; Available elsewhere, $33 to $43

2010 Planeta Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG (Vittoria, Sicily): 60% Nero d’Avola and 40% Frappato. Medium ruby red. Aromatic with spice, red fruit, and oak on the nose. Fruit-forward with cherry, strawberry, spice, and a touch of smoke on the palate. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity, smooth tannins, and a long, smooth finish. Pairing: Fettuccine al coniglio (fettuccine with rabbit)
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Suggested retail, $23; Available elsewhere, $18 to $23

2007 Planeta Santa Cecilia Nero d’Avola Sicilia IGT (Noto, Sicily): 100% Nero d’Avola. Deep purple in color. Nice nose with spice, smoke, and black fruit aromas. Smoke, spice, black cherry, and herbs come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish. Pairing: Arrosto misto di carne (filet mignon and lamb)
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Suggested retail, $43; Available elsewhere, $30 to $43

2010 Planeta Passito di Noto DOC (Noto, Sicily): 100% Moscato Bianco. Medium deep golden yellow. Gorgeous nose with honey and dried apricot aromas. Honey, peach, and dried apricot comes through on the palate. Full-bodied with vibrant acidity and luscious mouthfeel. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish. Pairing: Pera al moscato (poached pear)
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Suggested retail, $41 [500ml]

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is claret.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Claret is the English (not American) term generally used to describe red wines from the Bordeaux region, or red Bordeaux. Claret has also been used as a generic term for a vaguely identified class of red table wines supposedly drier, and possibly higher in tannins, than those wines sold as generic burgundy….

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Claret is the European term for red Bordeaux wines. Some American producers use the term to describe their red Bordeaux-style blends.

Rodney Strong founded Rodney Strong Vineyards, located in Healdsburg, California, in 1959. Current owner Tom Klein and the Klein family purchased the winery in 1989. In 2005, Klein added a “winery within a winery” concept to the Rodney Strong portfolio to focus on small-lot, artisan winemaking. The debut release from their Single Vineyards line was the 2005 Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon. It was the first in a series of three single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons. The Brothers Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon debuted with the 2006 vintage, and then the Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon debuted with the 2008 vintage. Symmetry is a red Meritage blend from their Reserve line produced with grapes primarily from those three prized Alexander Valley vineyards—Alexander’s Crown, Rockaway, and Brothers Ridge.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste the 2009 vintage of both Alexander’s Crown and Symmetry in a blind samples tasting. Both wines are very good, but we especially enjoyed the Alexander’s Crown. In fact, this is the second time we have tasted the 2009 Alexander’s Crown, and both times we have thought it was excellent.

The fruit for both wines comes from the Alexander Valley in California’s Sonoma County. Alexander’s Crown Vineyard is located in the southern part of the Alexander Valley, just north of Healdsburg. Established in 1971, Alexander’s Crown is recognized as the first vineyard in Sonoma County to produce a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. It rises to about 350 feet at its peak with a soil composition of predominantly well-drained gravelly loam.

If these wines are out of your price range, Rodney Strong also offers a lineup of more moderately priced wines that we have found to be good with high QPRs.

2009 Rodney Strong Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander’s Crown Vineyard, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark purple in color. Nice nose with black fruit and leather aromas. Blackcurrant, black cherry, leather, and cocoa come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $75

2009 Rodney Strong Symmetry Meritage Red Wine (Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California): 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec, 6% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark purplish red. Aromatic with black fruit and bacon on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $55

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2010 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Claret from California.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

The Coppola family has been making wine for several generations. Francis and Eleanor Coppola purchased 1,560 acres of the Inglenook Estate in 1975 and began making wine on their Napa Valley property. In 2006, they purchased the former Chateau Soverain tasting room, restaurant, and winemaking facility in Geyserville, California, with the plan to turn it into a family-friendly wine and food destination in Sonoma. They named Corey Beck as Director of Winemaking and General Manager for Francis Ford Coppola Winery, which produces seven wine brands including the Diamond Collection. Since its inception in 1997, Claret has been the flagship wine of the Diamond Collection. It is distinguished with gold netting, a tribute to the way Europe’s finest wines were once presented. Today, Francis Ford Coppola Winery features a wine tasting bar, two restaurants, swimming pools, a movie gallery, a performing arts pavilion and a park area with game tables and bocce courts.

“The 2010 growing season experienced chilly spring temperatures, and a mild summer. Waiting for that late, warm fall to arrive pushed harvest out weeks later than normal. But having the extra hangtime, allowed the fruit to develop beautifully concentrated flavors, and become a very layered, textural wine with dark, rich fruit impressions, supple tannins and distinct spice nuances that enhance the oak barrel character.” –Corey Beck, Winemaker

2010 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Claret (California): 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot, 5% Malbec, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Deep red in color. Aromatic with blackberries, vanilla, and spice on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with smooth tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $17; Available elsewhere, $10 to $19

Washington State Cabernet Sauvignons are among the best in the world, and they are much better values (higher QPR) than most Cabs in other wine regions of the world. Last Friday evening, we tasted six Cabernet Sauvignons from the 2008 vintage from Washington State in our wine tasting dinner. It was another fabulous evening of great wines, the company of wonderful friends, and LaGayle’s (Mom’s) excellent food. All six wines paired extremely well with our dinner of tomato basil soup, mixed green salad with a lemon garlic balsamic dressing, grilled beef tenderloin steaks, rosemary roasted sweet potatoes, braised kale, and German chocolate dessert with whipped topping garnished with dark chocolate.

The consensus favorite was the 2008 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Columbia Crest, located in Paterson, Washington, has been one of our favorite sources of value wines for many years. Well-known for their Grand Estates, H3, and Two Vines lines, it is their Reserve line that puts them in the league with the premier producers in the state. As you may remember, the 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was named as the #1 wine of 2009 in Wine Spectator’s annual Top 100 Wines list, the first Washington wine to receive the honor. Rounding out the top three wines in this tasting dinner and also receiving Quality ratings of 4.5 stars were the 2008 Betz Family Winery Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2008 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon.

Not only did five of the six wines receive a Quality rating of 4 stars or higher (out of 5), but the top three also received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5). Even though these wines are not inexpensive, they are well worth the money. I would encourage you to try any of these wines, especially with a meal, to decide for yourself how Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon compares to other world-renowned Cabs.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2008 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot. Deep, dark red in color. Gorgeous nose with blackcurrant, black cherry, smoke, cinnamon, and clove aromas. Black fruit, leather, earth, and clove comes through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $45; Available elsewhere, $30 to $50

2008 Betz Family Winery Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, and 5% Merlot. Deep, dark purplish red. Very aromatic with smoked meat, leather, spice, and black fruit on the nose. Blackberry, blackcurrant, smoked meat, and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a very long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $60; Available elsewhere, $59 to $75

2008 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Merlot. Dark, dense purple in color. Beautiful nose with blackberry, black cherry, and spice rack aromas. Black cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, cinnamon, and a touch of tobacco come through on the palate. Full-bodied and fruit-forward with lively acidity and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity, and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $42; Available elsewhere, $32 to $42

2008 Woodward Canyon Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State): 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Dark, dense red. Aromatic with black fruit, pencil lead, and oak on the nose. Blackberry, black cherry, mocha, spice, and a touch of green pepper come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high, silky tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $70; Available elsewhere, $65 to $78

2008 JB Neufeld Artz Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Artz Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with black fruit, oak, and a touch of spice. Red and black fruits, spice, and earth come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and smooth with medium tannins. Well-balanced with a medium to long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $28

2008 Quilceda Creek Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Galitzine Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington): 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Merlot. Dark purplish red. Aromatic with cinnamon, vanilla, and black fruit on the nose. Cinnamon, black cherry, and a touch of black pepper come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity, high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $98; Available elsewhere, $110 to $190

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is body.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Body is the tasting term for the perceived ‘weight’—the sensation of fullness, resulting from density or viscosity—of a wine on the palate. Wines at either end of the scale are described as full bodied and light bodied. …. Body is not related to wine quality, balance being more important in a wine than whether it is full or light bodied.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Body is the feel of the wine in your mouth, from watery (light-bodied) to creamy (full-bodied).