Wine legs are most commonly an indication of what?

Wine legs are most commonly an indication of what?

• A. Alcohol content
• B. Sugar content
• C. Acidity
• D. Tannin

Answer: (A)

Legs form on the glass because of how the wine’s liquid film behaves when it is swirled and then allowed to drain. Ethanol evaporates more readily than water, which changes the film’s surface tension as it concentrates, causing droplets to bead up and run down the sides. Higher alcohol wines tend to show more pronounced, slower-moving legs because the evaporation and surface-tension changes are stronger, making the droplets more noticeable. Sugar and tannins can affect viscosity a bit, but they don’t drive leg formation as directly. So the most common indication provided by legs is the wine’s alcohol content.

Legs form on the glass because of how the wine’s liquid film behaves when it is swirled and then allowed to drain. Ethanol evaporates more readily than water, which changes the film’s surface tension as it concentrates, causing droplets to bead up and run down the sides. Higher alcohol wines tend to show more pronounced, slower-moving legs because the evaporation and surface-tension changes are stronger, making the droplets more noticeable. Sugar and tannins can affect viscosity a bit, but they don’t drive leg formation as directly. So the most common indication provided by legs is the wine’s alcohol content.