Legs

The streaks that form on the inside of a wine glass after swirling, indicating alcohol and glycerol content.

FAQs

What causes legs in wine?

The “pied de cuve,” as it is called in winemaking, is a method in which a small amount of fermenting must is transferred to a larger quantity of must that has not yet begun fermentation, to kick-start the fermentation process.

Do legs indicate quality?  

It certainly affects quality, as yeasts are essentially transferred from one vessel to another to initiate fermentation.

How are legs related to alcohol content? 

The “pied de cuve” essentially consists of yeasts, so it has a direct relationship with the produced alcohol, as they carry out the conversion of sugars into ethanol.