Wine Glasses
There is a lot of myth surrounding which glass to use with which wine. Here is a simple truth; Almost every shape and style of glass will make a wine taste or smell different. This is easy to test for yourself, simply try the same wine out of several different types of glass at the same time.
So does this mean that those expensive fine crystal glasses that are a different shape for each type of wine really make a difference? Yes and no. Certainly they make a difference, but it is a more subjective question to ask if they actually make the wine better. Does each glass really correspond to a type of wine? Not in my opinion from the tests I have conducted. Different manufacturers have different shapes for the same wine types. Some have shapes for wines that are of similar style. Shape does matter, but the perfect shape for any given wine seems to be a myth in concert with the statement that there is a perfect food accompaniment for any given wine.
The problem always comes down to the fact that wine, like everything we experience, is subjective. I may prefer x, and you may prefer y. Just because I have decades of experience in tasting and teaching wine does not make my preference any more true or accurate than yours. So it is with wine glasses. For some wines I may prefer one type of glass, and you another.
What then should you look for in a wine glass?
A stem is a good start. Assuming you are drinking wine, and not tasting (there are special tasting glasses that have no stem, which I use) the stem allows you to hold the glass without getting your finger prints all over the bowl (top part of the glass) or warming the wine. It also makes swirling the wine a little easier.
Shape. No matter what the glass shape is, it should have a smaller opening than the widest point of the bowl. This will help to keep the aromas in the glass, making it easier to smell the wine.
Glass vs. Crystal is a question of budget, and preference. Crystal allows the wine glass to be thinner, and to have a more elegant feel. Glass is much less expensive and easier to clean. Crystal also rings better when toasting (remember to hold the glass by the stem when toasting, to allow the glass to ring). This is a small thing, but the cheerful ringing sound of a glass raised and a toast made, almost always brings a smile to my face.
Special tasting glasses exist for those of us that are looking to examine a wine, as opposed to drinking and enjoying it. A French company may have started the craze for specific glasses by first releasing a set of these specialized glasses, back in the 80s. The point of these tasting glasses, and the copies that followed, was to break the wine down to its elements and to emphasize any faults that might be hiding in the wine. For this reason these original French wine tasting glasses were called the "Pitiless." The original glasses have long since disappeared from the market, but I recently discovered that Ravenscroft is making glasses that are very similar, at a much more reasonable price. [UPDATE] Read the comment from Ravenscroft Crystal.
One last suggestion for wine glasses. Have several different sizes and shapes. Not so much because they may be the perfect glass for the type of wine you are serving, but to allow you to have several wines on your table at once, and to make it easier for the guest to remember which is which.
Looking for stem and barware?
Large Selection of Martinis, Pilsners, Wine and Other Crystal Stems
Bar Accessories
So does this mean that those expensive fine crystal glasses that are a different shape for each type of wine really make a difference? Yes and no. Certainly they make a difference, but it is a more subjective question to ask if they actually make the wine better. Does each glass really correspond to a type of wine? Not in my opinion from the tests I have conducted. Different manufacturers have different shapes for the same wine types. Some have shapes for wines that are of similar style. Shape does matter, but the perfect shape for any given wine seems to be a myth in concert with the statement that there is a perfect food accompaniment for any given wine.
The problem always comes down to the fact that wine, like everything we experience, is subjective. I may prefer x, and you may prefer y. Just because I have decades of experience in tasting and teaching wine does not make my preference any more true or accurate than yours. So it is with wine glasses. For some wines I may prefer one type of glass, and you another.
What then should you look for in a wine glass?
A stem is a good start. Assuming you are drinking wine, and not tasting (there are special tasting glasses that have no stem, which I use) the stem allows you to hold the glass without getting your finger prints all over the bowl (top part of the glass) or warming the wine. It also makes swirling the wine a little easier.
Shape. No matter what the glass shape is, it should have a smaller opening than the widest point of the bowl. This will help to keep the aromas in the glass, making it easier to smell the wine.
Glass vs. Crystal is a question of budget, and preference. Crystal allows the wine glass to be thinner, and to have a more elegant feel. Glass is much less expensive and easier to clean. Crystal also rings better when toasting (remember to hold the glass by the stem when toasting, to allow the glass to ring). This is a small thing, but the cheerful ringing sound of a glass raised and a toast made, almost always brings a smile to my face.
Special tasting glasses exist for those of us that are looking to examine a wine, as opposed to drinking and enjoying it. A French company may have started the craze for specific glasses by first releasing a set of these specialized glasses, back in the 80s. The point of these tasting glasses, and the copies that followed, was to break the wine down to its elements and to emphasize any faults that might be hiding in the wine. For this reason these original French wine tasting glasses were called the "Pitiless." The original glasses have long since disappeared from the market, but I recently discovered that Ravenscroft is making glasses that are very similar, at a much more reasonable price. [UPDATE] Read the comment from Ravenscroft Crystal.
One last suggestion for wine glasses. Have several different sizes and shapes. Not so much because they may be the perfect glass for the type of wine you are serving, but to allow you to have several wines on your table at once, and to make it easier for the guest to remember which is which.
Looking for stem and barware?
Large Selection of Martinis, Pilsners, Wine and Other Crystal Stems
Bar Accessories
posted by Wineguy at 8:26 AM
1 Comments:
Here are some comments from David Rand of Ravenscroft:
Ravenscroft is the glass which comes closest to Peynaud's dream that a
wineglass be invisible. Ravenscroft's varietal specific stemware has an
unmatched whisper-like hand and mouth feel. Removing the lead and hand
crafting a glass is the reason we achieve such perfection. Most of our
glasses are hand pulled stems. A pulled stem is the least obtrusive hand
feel because there is no seam between the stem and bowl. While it is
possible to machine pull a stem it usually results in a much heavier glass.
The reason lead was added in the past to glass was for clarity and ease of
cutting. Modern production techniques and materials are very different
today. We use other metals to achieve the brilliant clarity. Lead has a much
higher specific gravity of the other materials available to make glass
brilliant. Removing the lead allows us to make a glass with as much material
in it as other glasses but with an overall reduction in weight. If and when
we wish to decorate a decanter with cuts we simply suffer the additional
costs associated with cutting and polishing unleaded glass. Hence we deliver
the glass which is the most invisible.
Lead is also a problem for our health. While one would have difficulty
proving a health hazard for leaded wine glasses it is universally accepted
that leaded decanters used for storage will leach unacceptable amounts of
lead into their contents. Other than sound there is no reason to add lead
and many reasons not to.
I forgot to mention cost... Our stems are painlessly priced. We believe our
dramatic growth is based on being better for less money.
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