Wine Word of the Week-Viscosity
Kristina Hall | On Mon, March 1, 2010 at 6:30 AM What is Viscosity in Wine?
Viscosity in wine, sometimes called "legs," is a common term that people use when describing the feel or consistency of wine. Typically, a wine drinker will swirl the glass of wine, and watch the stripes of liquid flowing down the inside of the glass. The appearance of the wine can be either thin and watery or thick and syrupy. Is one type of viscosity better than the other?
Viscosity is determined by the sugar content and percentage of alcohol in the wine. The more sugars and higher alcohol in the wine, the higher the viscosity. You will see this in sweet dessert wines, swirl some Port in a glass and see how strong the "legs" are. The amount of viscosity is not an indicator of the quality of the wine, just a reflection of the sugar and alcohol content.
The wines from the Martin Ranch Winery all have moderate and mid-ranged sugar and alcohol contents and you will find that the viscosity is present, but not over done. Drinking wine is a very sensory experience; observing and feeling the viscosity is part of that experience.
The Garden is Growing!
Harvest has begun in the Martin Ranch winter garden. The consistent rains have kept the plants well-watered and juicy. The broccoli is out of this world delicious. From broccoli quiche to pasta with broccoli and garlic, everyone is enjoying the fruits from our bountiful organic winter garden. We are not too far away from thinking of planting the spring garden and flowers.
Come out to the Martin Ranch Winery on the 3rd weekend of the Month, when the Winery is open to the public and wine club members. We always look forward to seeing you!
Reader Comments (2)
After that, may be you can use wine tasting descriptors. The use of wine tasting descriptors allow the taster an opportunity to put into words the aromas and flavors that they experience and can be used in assessing the overall quality of wine.
Regards,
Lolita
Thats a fine idea - thanks for posting!