Wine 101: Appearance -- Gas & Viscosity

In the past few posts we've been chatting about the different appearances that your wines can exude in order to help you better characterize your glass. Both viscosity and gas are two additional components under the "appearance" category that you should keep in mind during wine tasting.

VISCOSITY

Next time you're drinking a nice glass of vino and someone comments about your "nice legs," don't be so quick to jump to conclusions that the person is hitting on you an an outdated sort of fashion. Truth is, they are probably commenting on the viscosity of your wine. 

Viscosity refers to the consistency of your wine and can be identified by those dripping marks (known as "legs" or "tears") trickling down the inside of your glass. Test it out - swirl your wine glass around and look how the wine drips down the glass. The thicker the "legs" the higher the alcohol content and/or sugar contents of the wine. More alcohol? More sugar? It's no wonder I go for the thicker consistency wines!

GAS

Evidence of gas in a still wine should be noticed, as it indicates that the wine is young, fresh or in some cases, out of condition. 

As we continue to break down the attributes of wine, be sure to check back in for Wine 101. We'll continue to unlock the mysteries that are smell and taste. Afterall, a good wino wannaBEE, enjoys their wine with all their senses (of course, with taste being the most appreciated - mmm!)