Term for the viscosity of liquids, which is based on the internal friction of their molecules, which attract each other and counteract the flow effect. The term goes back to the typically viscous juice of the berries in the plant genus mistletoe; "viscous" means "tough like bird glue". Bird's glue (sticky liquid from the fruit) was obtained from such mistletoe. The viscosity decreases as the temperature rises. Sugar solutions or honey have a much higher viscosity than water. In wine, this viscosity is expressed as body, especially wines with a high proportion of alcohol, residual sugar and total extract have a pronounced viscosity. The content of the viscous alcohol type glycerine also plays a certain role. Sweet wines in particular, such as Ausbruch, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein, are characterised by a higher viscosity.
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Thomas Götz
Weinberater, Weinblogger und Journalist; Schwendi