The term “legs” refers to the streams of wine that run down the sides of a wine glass after swirling. They are also called “tears.”They can be thick or thin and the patterns that they form can vary greatly. The question is, what do you do with them? Do they matter?

It used to be said that the more legs in a wine glass, the greater the wine’s quality. This is a myth. Another idea is that the more legs in a wine glass, the greater the quantity of alcohol in the wine. This can be true sometimes, but it’s not an absolute rule. Some say that legs are related to the quantity of sugar in the wine also where a higher sugar content causes the wine to cling to the sides. For the most part though, legs don’t mean anything at all. You can observe and appreciate them, but they don’t serve any purpose. Just enjoy your wine!