Church windows

When swirled in a glass, a wine can briefly show 'tears' on the inside. As the tears run down the glass, they often form shapes that are sometimes reminiscent of 'windows with tips'.

In English wine-speak, these 'tears' or 'stained glass windows' are known as 'legs'. Many connoisseurs observe this beautiful phenomenon very carefully. They note the distance between the tears, the density, as well as the speed of the build-up/breakdown of the tears when swirling.

From this, they read out details of the wine concerning its relative viscosity and alcohol content.

A relatively higher viscosity is often regarded as a complementary (positive) indication in the qualification of the 'body'. The value of the conclusions from optical analyses of the 'church windows' is of course controversial. However, some connoisseurs can draw important (and correct) conclusions from a careful analysis of this kind. It should also be noted that both temperature differences and any soap residue in the glass influence the formation of stained glass windows.

 

 

 

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