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Last Updated: Mar 6, 2026
Legs
Legs
Wine legs, also known as “tears “or “cathedral arches”, are the droplets and streaks of wine that form on the inside of a wine glass. Wine legs resettle at the bottom after swirling the liquid, demonstrating a physical phenomenon called the Gibbs-Marangoni effect. They are not an indicator of wine quality, but rather they show that a wine has higher alcohol content, increased sugar or that it is served at cooler temperatures. Thicker, slower moving legs indicate higher alcohol (>13.5%) or higher sugar content. A crisp white wine such as Riesling will produce thinner, faster moving legs.
See Also
Body
A wine's body is its weight, texture and overall mouthfeel which is determined by a combination of alcohol content, tannins, sugar and extract. A wine may be light, medium or full bodied.
Length
A wine's length describes how long a wine's flavor, aromas and tactile sensations last on your palate after spitting it out or swallowing.
Balance
Balance is the proportional relationship between acidity, alcohol, sugar, tannin and fruit concentration in a wine, where no single element dominates.
Extract
The extract of a wine is everything in it apart from water, sugar, alcohol and acids. It refers to the non volatile solids such as tannins, anthocyannins and glycerol which are drawn from the grape during maceration.
Acidity
Acidity can be described as a "zing" on the tongue, acting as a structural backbone that balances sweetness and alcohol, while preventing spoilage.
Hot
A "hot" wine is a wine with unbalanced, excessively high alcohol (>14.5% ABV) that creates a burning sensation in the throat and mouth.
Bouquet
The term "bouquet" refers to the complex aromas and perfumes that develop in wine due to bottle maturation, fermentation and wood aging. It includes scents like vanilla, toast, earth and truffle.
ABV
ABV means alcohol by volume, referring to the percentage of alcohol in a wine, typically ranging from 11% to 15% for table wines.
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