Wine Glasses,I’ve noticed that there are many different shapes of wine glasses. Different shapes for Syrah, Chardonnay, Pinot, etc. Do these significantly affect how the wine tastes, or is this pure wine snobbery?
Do wine-specific glasses really help make wines tase better?
January 10th, 2011 · 3 Comments · Wine Stemware
Tags: Chardonnay·different shapes·snobbery·syrah·wine glasses
know_it_all // Jan 10, 2011 at 10:15 am
The simple answer is that form is designed to fit function. In the case of wine glasses, this means that the shape of the wine glass should be designed so as to let you fully appreciate all that there is to the wine including the smell, the taste, and its feel in your mouth. Wine glasses traditionally have stems, because they are meant to be held by the stem so that your hand does not warm the wine. This applies to both white and red wine glasses. Most people seem to think that red wine glasses should be held cupping the bowl of the glass, but even red wine should be served slightly cool (at the temperature of your cellar for example). A source I give at the bottom gives serving temperatures for different wines. Of course, the less skilled you are at detecting the fine nuances of wine, the less you will appreciate the difference between wine glasses. With a poor quality wine that has little complexity, the shape of the wine glass also matters less.
Most people own red wine and white wine glasses, and for most people (myself included) this is enough. However, some companies make a different glass for each type of wine (Chianti v Merlot). These slight differences in shape are not appreciated by most consumers with most wines, but supposedly some companies put effort into researching the shape of wine glasses to make them perfect for a given beverage.
Champagne flutes are excellent for champagne, because they keep the carbonation in well with so little surface area of the liquid exposed to let the bubbles escape. There are also champagne saucers, which do exactly the opposite and are generally not recommended for champagne consumption. I am not sure why champagne saucers were ever invented, but I suspect that the shallow bowl was designed to help prevent the fizz up that occurs when a carbonated beverage falls a long way when it is being poured, like what happens if you pour beer into the middle of the glass rather than down the side of it.
This same thing is true of liquor glasses as well. For example, good single malt scotches should be tasted with a nosing glass, which is designed to allow the consumer to appreciate the scent of the scotch. Brandy snifters have short stems with a large bowl, because brandy (cognac especially) is considered more fully appreciated if slightly warmed by your hand, and this glass shape allows this to happen. Some people mix drinks with ice and serve in brandy snifters – this is for nothing more than show. Martini glasses are also long stemmed, because you want your martini to stay cold, so you hold it by the stem. Martini glasses are also spread outward, because the liquors served in them (like dry gin) do not have a scent you would like to trap, only sharp fumes.
jwadhams1 // Jan 10, 2011 at 10:15 am
I suspect the wide variety of shapes (that are mostly variations on a theme) is mostly snobbery, but the general characteristics can help you get your "Sideways" on. The taper toward the top helps capture volatile smells (most of what you think of as taste is sensed in the nose). The curve of the bottom of the container can be a valuable cue as to whether the wine should be warmed in the palm of your hand (scotch also benefits from this trick).
I’ve also seen glasses that turn the lip of the glass outward to help accentuate sweetness (sweet sensors are right on the tip of your tongue), like the whiskey glass below.
I think the shapes help accentuate a good beverage, and they certainly add a sense of occasion, but Waterford crystal won’t fix a lousy wine, and a big gulp cup won’t ruin a well-aged treat.
jatea4 // Jan 10, 2011 at 10:15 am
Try it for yourself.
Buy a Riedel (pronounced Ree – dull) or Spiegelau for the specific wine you’re going to try and a wrong option glass, pour a small amount in both glasses, swirl, sniff (focus on the smell), and taste, starting with the wrong glass. Repeat in the right glass. If the wine tastes different, you’ll know something is going on, and as the other answers pointed out, it’s the way the bouquet(smell) is presented, and where the wine hits your tongue.
Take the glasses back if you’re not convinced!