The "tears,"or syrupy-looking marks on the inside of your wine glass, can provide wine drinkers with some information about the type of wine that has been poured. When tasters swirl the wine around in a glass, not only does the motion help unlock the unique aroma of the wine, but it can also reveal the appearance — or lack — of wine legs.

These “legs” can indicate the sweetness of the wine and the alcohol content of the blend, as wines with higher levels of alcohol will result in a residue left along the inner surface of a glass. Wine is made up of ethanol and water, and as wine is moved around inside a glass, the ethanol evaporates, leaving behind sticky trails.

Higher-density wines such as red zinfandels and cabernet sauvignons leave more legs on glasses than wines with a lower alcohol content. Wines that are sweet can also leave behind these liquid prints, as thicker, more viscous wines result in a liquid that moves slower along a glass surface.