What are you drinking wine out of?

What are you drinking wine out of?

I am no snob about wine, (well sometimes I am) but there really is a difference in wine glasses. I have conducted several tastings with the Riedel Glassware representative where as we compared a normal small bowl wine glass that you see in most restaraunts, to a glass made specifically for wine.
It is amazing the difference in the types. The aroma from the regular glass is almost non exsitstent, but the aroma from the specific glass is amazing, the smell of the fruit hits your palate without even sipping. The test that really sold me was the plain tap water test. We swirled and smelled the aroma of plain tap water in the different glasses. The results were amazing. The normal restaurant glass had no aroma, but the specific glass smelled of strong chlorine, almost like bleach.
A few things you should look for when purchasing wine glasses should be as follows:
A large bowl for airaeting the wine.
A thin rim on the glass to direct the wine to your palate.
A clear bowl that is blemish and design free.
A stem to hold the glass by to keep the bowl clean and cool.
This last point has sparked a small debate throughout my industry. Several years ago Riedel (the leading glass manufacturer for specific wine glasses) developed a short large bowl glass with no stem. They call this the Riedel O. The debate is that touching the bowl dirties the outside and warms the wine thus reducing the aroma. I don't have an opinion, I just prefer a stem.
So when purchasing wine glasses pay attention to the few simple rules. It will increase your wine drinking experience.


Until next time. Drink more wine.

Tim Miles- Owner - Premium Wines & Spirits
"Explaining the Miles of Wine"