Tears of Wine
For almost as long as people have been drinking wine, they’ve been wondering about a curious phenomenon: the tears of wine. Andrea Bertozzi, UCLA professor of mathematics, and her research team have found a new way to explain why and how this happens.
What are the Tears of Wine?
After wine is poured into a glass and swirled, a thin film of the liquid creeps up the glass.That happens because the alcohol in wine evaporates faster than the water, and the resulting difference in surface tension pulls the wine upwards.
How Can I see the tears of wine?
Pour whisky or port (for higher alcohol concentration) into a conical glass, immediately cover the glass to stop evaporation, swirl the liquid slowly to coat the glass and remove the cover after a few seconds when the swirl disappears.
Who was involved in this research?
Andrea Bertozzi, department of mathematics professor at UCLA, and her research team, including Yoni Dukler, PhD student in applied mathematics; Hangjie Ji, assistant adjunct professor in the department of mathematics; and Claudia Falcon, Assistant Adjunct Professor in the department of mathematics.