Glass Basics

Jul 20 2009

As someone who loves his wine, I make it known. I talk a lot about wine, sample it often and get into debates about what I think is important. One of the most popular topics I get stuck on with others is choice of drinking vessel.

Is any glass acceptable? Is shape important? Stem length? Does size really matter? Seriously. Let me start off by saying BE YOUR OWN PERSON. Drink what you like to drink out of whatever you want to drink out of and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Now, if you want to know a few things I’ve learned about how drinking vessel choice can affect what you drink, read on…

Shape up! Are there shapes of glasses that make a wine better or worse? I vote yes. Why? Because I’ve tasted the difference! Cabs, merlots, blends, and zinfandels are generally best enjoyed in a wide deep glass which allows plenty of air to mix with the wine to build body and flavor. Whites are usually served in smaller, not-so-wide glasses as they are tighter in body and don’t need a lot of exposure to come out of their shell.

Paper or plastic? Here’s something I don’t get too picky about as long as it’s glass – no paper or plastic cups please! I like to taste all the flavor of my wine, and none of the vessel it’s served in. If I’m feeling picky about the type of glass, I prefer crystal. Why? It’s hard to explain so I’ll invite you to test it yourself. Here’s what you do:

Take a bottle of wine and two wine glasses of roughly the same size and shape, but make sure one is plain glass, and one is crystal. Now pour equal amounts of your chosen wine into the glasses and give each a healthy swirl. Let the wine sit for a good ten minutes, then taste each. If you have a sensitive palate, you’ll notice a difference – feel free to be picky from now on! If you don’t notice a difference, no worries! Keep on enjoying what you like in what you like!

The long and short of it. I don’t personally care how long the stem on my glass is as long as there IS ONE. Stemless glasses – while trendy – are incorrect for one reason: temperature. You want reds to stay room temp, and whites to stay cool. What you don’t want is the palm of your hand to warm up your vino. Simple.

So, what’s REALLY important? That you enjoy your wine! What’s important to me? A BIG crystal glass with a stem with a healthy pour!