ask a sommelier
I have a friend who swirls wine in its glass and tells me that it has “ legs .” Why is he swirling it and what does he mean by “ legs ”?
— Mark Saunders
Dear Mark ,
Putting aside the fact that swirling wine is customary ( and fun !), the scientific premise behind this debonair flick of the wrist is that agitation introduces oxygen into a wine , thereby enticing some of the volatile elements ( aromas ) to come out and play . We say a wine is “ tight ” when its tannins are high and its aromas are shut down . Swirling a wine in its glass ( and by the same token , decanting a wine quickly ) is a method we use to try and “ open up ” the wine .
" Legs " are streams left behind on the glass that are created by alcohol evaporating when you swirl . It ’ s sort of a misconception how much the “ legs ” can tell you about the overall quality of the wine . Factoring in the cleanliness of the glass , the best you can hope for is to glean its alcohol content and perhaps a little about the winemaking if a lot of colour is left on the glass .
— Brooklyn Hurst
My partner , Faiz , and I are off to Napa and Sonoma and we want to tour some vineyards . I am sure a lot has changed since we lived there in the 1980s . Faiz does most of the wine shopping and he is very adventurous . I like full-bodied reds , such as Cabernet Sauvignon , although I surprise myself often when trying something different . Could you recommend vineyards that we should visit ?
— Chef Louise Briskie-de Beer , Cafe Savour
Dear Louise ,
Many Napa and Sonoma wineries are open to the public with elaborate tasting rooms and bookable tours ; others require appointments . Are you interested in wine tourism or wines ? For the former , Beringer ' s
19th-century German inspired mansion , Sterling ’ s cable car and panoramic view of Napa Valley , and Inglenook / Rubicon Estate are Napa icons . In Sonoma , Benziger offers a terrific tour of their self-contained biodynamic vineyard and winery . If you are strictly wine focused , you ’ ll find most Napa- Sonoma red wines are full-bodied , even some of the Pinot Noirs ! Before your trip , contact wineries that produce wines that appeal to you to express your interest — this opens doors and may broaden the experience . Come into the store for a chat , and we ' ll happily make more tailored recommendations .
— Gary Hewitt
My friend serves wine in any glass he can find in the kitchen , saying that putting it in a proper wine glass makes no difference . Is he right ? If not , what ’ s the purpose of the classic wine glass design ?
— Tim Hoover
Dear Tim ,
Your friend is definitely not right ! Wine glasses are designed to enhance wine . The size of the bowl ( bottom portion of the glass ) controls the amount of surface area that is exposed to the air . It will determine how much or little liquid can be swirled , which in turn affects how much of the wine is exposed to air . Exposing wine to oxygen allows its flavours and aromas to open up .
At the top of the glass , the thickness and shape of the rim will direct the wine to specific parts of the tongue , where we taste five different elements : sweetness , acidity , bitterness , saltiness , or savouriness . Finally , the diametre of the opening controls the bouquet ( the aroma rising off the wine ).
The stem of the wine glass has a very practical purpose : without it , you would be holding the wine glass by the bowl , which would serve to warm a chilled white , or even overheat a glass of red . All of these elements contribute to a better tasting experience .
Try this experiment with your friend : take a plastic cup , a water glass and a wine glass and pour the same wine into each . Get him to taste wine from each vessel . I bet you will never see him pour his Shiraz into a random glass again !
— Saralyn Mehta
If you have a question for our Sommeliers , visit us at www . banvilleandjones . com / cellar . aspx
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