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Wine legs (church windows)

German: Kirchenfenster (Tränen) Also known as: Tränen, Beine

Streaks of droplets running down the glass after swirling that can hint at alcohol and extract content.

When wine is swirled, streaks form at the rim of the glass and run down as droplets. They are called church windows, tears or legs. The cause is differing evaporation of alcohol and water at the glass wall, creating surface tension differences.

Strong, slow tears often point to high alcohol or residual sugar, but they are not a quality criterion. Glass cleanliness and detergent residues also influence the picture.

Related terms

Appearance and colourExtractBodySwirling

More from Tasting

MouthfeelSweetnessPrimary aromasRetronasal perceptionBottle ageingCork taint

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