Wine has legs and “she knows how to use them”!  Sorry, an old Z Z Top song popped into my head.

I have often heard people describe some wines as having long legs.  They swirl the wine in the glass and watch the streaks running down the sides of the glass.  The remark is usually, “Oh, long legs, good quality”.  Does the length of the legs really help determine quality?  I have some wines I thought were great and the legs barely stayed on the glass.

The legs actually do not determine quality.  The legs help to determine the alcohol content of the wine.  The longer the legs last, the higher the alcohol content.  The phenomenon is referred to as “Tears of Wine”.  It starts as a clear ring of liquid near the top of the glass.  Droplets form continuously from the ring and drop back into the wine.  The longer these tears cling to the side of the glass, and the more of them there are, the higher the alcohol content.  Besides legs and tears, I have heard the droplets called curtains and church windows.  Sweeter wines are more vicious as the tears (legs) will flow slower down the sides of the glass.  If you want to get into the sciences of this, Google the Gibbs-Marangoni Effect, as it will explain the mechanics of this phenomenon and why covering your glass will make the tears (legs) disappear.

It is a myth that legs determine quality.  Legs are a guide to alcohol content.  However, I do have some friends that believe higher alcohol does mean higher quality.  The length of legs might be a quality you look for in a date, but they do not tell you the quality of the wine.

For those of you, who really want to know the alcohol content of wine, let me know.  I have a friend who can determine the alcohol by volume after three sips!  She does not need to see the legs.  I usually just cheat and read the label.

So, you may still be wondering why wine drinkers swirl the wine in the glass.  The swirling helps to release the aroma molecules from the wine which in turn improves the ability to better smell and taste the wine.  The swirling action increases the surface area of the wine, which then increases the oxygenation of the wine, thus affecting the flavor.  But at the end of the day, some wine drinkers still like looking at the legs even if they know they don’t mean a thing when it comes to quality!
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Cheers!
Hoosier Wine Guy

Remember that ad campaign?  It was a fun way to promote milk.  But, what does milk have to do with wine?  The answer, understanding wine can be as simple as understanding milk.

We boomers grew up in a milk culture and easily understand the differences in milk.  We know the body of the milk just by looking at the label.  We know skim means watery with a light body and we easily understand that cream means thick with a heavy body.  Our palate can easily feel the weight difference between skim milk, whole milk, and cream.  The same is true with wine.  Start your wine tasting journey with your focus on the body of the wine.  Body is easy to experience and understand.  If you master the weight of wine, you can be comfortable in any wine setting.

We call wine at the skim milk end of the spectrum light bodied.  Those at the whole milk level, medium bodied, with those at the cream end, full bodied.

Examples would include:

REDS
Pinot Noir (Light)                   
Cabernet Sauvignon \ Merlot(Medium      
Syrah or Shiraz (Full)                 

WHITES
Riesling (Light)
​Sauvignon Blanc (Medium)
Chardonnay (Full)

I know, here are the big 6 wines again.  They are everywhere.  We are surrounded!  Learn these grapes and their associated bodies and you will be a famous wine person by Friday.

So, don’t worry if you do not smell black current in your wine.  Truthfully, I don’t know what black current smells like, and besides, aromas can be different things to different people.  But the weight and body of wines are universal.  We all can relate to the meaning and feel.

How does weight apply to food and wine pairing?  Keep it simple.  If you want to enjoy the wine, do not pair a light weight Pinot Noir with a thick, highly seasoned beef stew.  The Pinot would be destroyed.  It would be like asking me to block an NFL lineman!  I would be destroyed and on my way to the doctor!

Cheers!
Hoosier Wine Guy

Most wine guides like to start with the "big 6" wines.  They are: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.  These are the baseline wines to get to know first and will help you to find your taste profile.

Riesling, for the most part, seems to be put on the back burner.  Personally I think German Rieslings are some of the most versatile and valued priced wines on the market.  You can find good German Riesling wine for under $20.   But do not confuse these Rieslings with Liebfraumilch wines that were dominant in the 70’s or the mass produced Rieslings such as Blue Nun or Black Tower.

I really like Rieslings ability to pair with a variety of foods.  I think Rieslings pair very well with the foods we eat on a daily basis.  My wife and I are usually eating salads, sandwiches, or takeout.  Rieslings are great for those everyday foods.  It can take you from a BLT to mac and cheese.

The first few books I read on food and wine parings focused on the elegant pairings, such as meals you might have on special occasions.  My mission has been to find wines that pair well with everyday foods ad German Rieslings are one of those wines.  I am talking about Rieslings in the Kabinett and Spatlese categories and even some in Auslese.  These categories will be designated on the label.  Germany has not had a bad vintage in years, with many of the recent vintages being considered great.  Remember, Riesling IS considered one of the "big 6".  Give it a try!

Cheers,
Hoosier Wine Guy

What are old vines?  I have seen “Old Vines” proudly displayed on wine labels, but how old is old?  It seems no one knows.  A lot depends on the winemaker’s definition.  In the U.S., there is no legal definition.  The vines can be 5 years old and still be called old vines.

It would appear that winemakers start calling vines old at about the 30 year mark, but often the term “Old Vines” applies to 100 or more year old vines.  What a range of years!  In general though, 40 -50 years seems to be the most often used dates by reputable winemakers.
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So what is the big deal and why bother with the term?  What does old bring to the juice?  It is believed that old vines have two main advantages:  The first being the roots have had time to grow deeper, allowing them to find more water.  Secondly, they produce fewer berries which increases the concentration of the juice.  I believe both of these advantages can contribute to a better wine.  They are just a couple of the many factors that help make a good wine.  Climate, soil, which varietal, and the winemaker all play a part in a quality wine. 

When looking for “Old Vines” you will probably see the term on Zinfandel wines, but also, it is not uncommon to see them on some Rhone blends from France.  Most good wineries are putting the age of the vines on the back of the label. 

Personally, I believe old can be better than young.

Cheers,
Hoosier Wine Guy