They Say That Wine's Got Legs!

What does it mean when someone says, "That wine's got legs?" We like legs. We like them so much that it’s a term we use to praise things. ZZ Top sang a song about them. Claudette Colbert could stop a car with hers. And when fancy pants wine aficionados say a wine’s got legs what they mean is there’s a way you can tell you how good the wine you’re about to enjoy will taste just by looking at it.

Legs: After a glass of wine is swirled, it often leaves a coating on the inside of the glass that separates into viscous-looking rivulets called legs or tears. These streams slowly slide down the glass, returning to the wine’s surface. Legs generally indicate rich, full-bodied wine with relatively high alcohol (12 percent or more).
- Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst
The New Wine Lover’s Companion

Now there are those who would have you believe that this viscosity has some bearing on the flavor of the wine. This is not true. It’s simply a chemical that makes some wines cling to the glass more than others. It has no discernible effect on flavor. As for the boozy-ness described above, we have no absolute scientific proof one way or the other. However, we are willing to make a concerted effort to make a hands on study of the truth of it. You don’t have to thank us. It’s a sacrifice we’re willing to make.

The one fact that’s undeniable is the whole point of a glass of wine is to taste good and make your meal more pleasant. You don’t have to be a wine snob to know what you like. Of course, if you want to swirl your glass and check out the legs on your wine, we won’t judge.

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Right on!