The reason your wine has tears

Legs, tears, lacing, church windows. We’ve stared at the meditative spectacle of droplets streaming down the side of our glass. And even cherished them, certain it was a sign of Wine Greatness.

But, unfortunately, wine tears do not necessarily equate to high quality wine.

So what are they really?

Tears are the result of alcohol evaporation and surface tension on the glass (for you science geeks, look up the Marangoni Effect). So, more prominent tearing is purely due to higher amounts of alcohol. A high sugar content may also make those tears move a bit slower.

What does that mean for you?

Unlike tarot cards, palms, or tea leaves, wine tears are not worthy of deep analysis. Your wine’s alcohol levels may or may not be compositionally balanced. But only tasting will indicate that for sure.

But certainly, enjoy the water works!