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… And now that you have chosen the wine, what do you serve it in? The thought of serving a wine in an ordinary tumbler or perhaps even a coffee cup or a mason jar seems totally incredible, improbable and impossible. It is traditional to serve a wine in stemware i.e. a vessel consisting of a bowl, a stem and a stand. In plain words, a good, old fashioned wine glass. We have all seen them, in every shape, size and color. But now, the burning question is, what is the best, or proper wine glass to use?
Let us start with the most important question, the basic specifications for a wine glass. Everyone is in agreement that a wine glass should be made of clear, colorless, smooth sided glass. The color of a wine is an important element in the enjoyment of wine so we now know why colored glass is a definite no-no, This is also a good reason to keep Aunt Sophie's purple wine glasses in the curio cabinet. There should also be no faceting or design on the bowl. Facets on a glasses surface does not permit you to look through the glass to appreciate the wine's color. So we are down to a clear, colorless vessel. Now what?
The bowl, the part that holds the wine should be large at the bottom and narrower at the top. This configuration allows the aroma to remain in the bowl. It is very important to contain the aroma, as it is an integral and essential part of wine enjoyment. The bowl should be supported by a solid glass support that is long enough to be able to get your hand around. Why? The stem is there to allow a wine to be held without the hand coming in contact with the bowl. Hand contact will warm the wine and drive off many of the delicate aromas. Another popular way to hold a wine glass is by the stand. The stand must therefore be designed to fit comfortably in the hand and be large enough to hold. Tell the truth, did you know that?
Riedel of Austria, is probably the premier wineglass maker in the world, and their glasses are the absolute standard for better wine tastings and competitions. Riedel has gone so far as to design glasses specifically for different types of wine. If you are a true wine aficionado you will have Riedel wineglasses. They have made it a little easier to afford wine their glasses by having three separate categories, in three different price ranges. For further information on the Riedel glassware, they have a web site at http://www.riedelcrystal.com or ask you favorite wine merchant to get you a brochure.
One final point about wine glasses. While good wineglasses dramatically enhance the enjoyment of any wine, their cost can be high. It is not, however, necessary to get a six or eight glass set. Get just enough glasses to satisfy the number of people who regularly enjoy wine at your table. In our case that number is two, so we can purchase two wine glasses of several different types without breaking the bank. When we have company, they get the "other" wineglasses.
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