In response to the various comments made here, what follows is a lightly reworked version of Topic 6. As usual, all comments welcome.
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- Does it matter what kind of glass I drink the wine out of? Although you’ll find that there’s a lot of disagreement among wine lovers about whose wine glass they prefer, most all agree that the size and shape of the glass does make a difference in how well they can taste the wine. If you’ve ever drunk wine out of a jelly jar, you may understand how difficult it is to taste the wine you’re drinking (this is because a large part of taste is actually our sense of smell). By general consensus, you’ll get a lot more out of a wine glass that has a relatively large bowl and a reasonably small opening at the top. These glasses are intended to be filled only part of the way to the top, usually only to the widest part of the bowl (less than half full), which traps the volatile elements of the wine in the head space above the wine. That permits you to better smell the “nose” of the wine, which in turn improves your ability to taste the wine. However, these glasses don’t necessarily make the wine taste better – in fact, flawed wines will usually taste worse in such glasses because you can taste them more intensely. So, keep those jelly jars around for when Aunt Millie brings her latest batch of dandelion wine around for you to sample ;-)
6a. Are those expensive Riedel glasses worth the money?
Riedel and several other manufacturers, such as Spiegelau and Schott-Zwiesel, go beyond simply making a single style of wine glass and sell glasses of various shapes designed for different types of wine. Not all are that expensive - one can get very nice glasses for about six dollars (US) a stem, although they do go up from there for those with the money. When you consider the total value of the wine that will be poured into these glasses over the course of a year or so, the price of the glass is very small indeed. Ultimately, however, only you can decide if they are a worthwhile investment, and how much money you're willing to spend on them instead of cheaper wine glasses.
Most wine lovers agree that white wines and red wines show better in different shapes of glass. Many red wines benefit from a bulbous “globe” shape that permits the accumulation of large amouts of the volatile elements of the wine. Although white wines will do well enough in a "red wine" glass, a narrower vessel often helps show them off better. Beyond that, you find little agreement. Some people find that Pinot Noir and Burgundy taste better in a very rounded bowl, whereas Bordeaux and Cabernet seem better in a more streamlined, albeit large, bowl; others feel that this is overkill and don’t see much difference in the two styles. Riedel sponsors "blind tastings" of their glasses to demonstrate their effect on the taste of wine; most who attend come away believers, for what that's worth. The thinness of the rim of these glasses is more pleasant to many than a thicker rimmed glass, and allows the sensations of the wine itself to dominate. The stem of these glasses is also very thin, leading to an elegant appearance but also making the glasses fragile and prone to breakage. Most of these fancy wine glasses must be hand washed.
Some of Riedel's claims for their glasses are hard to take seriously. The claim that the surface structure of their glass helps release the flavors of the wine, specifically, sounds like pseudo-science, as does their claim that the different shapes of their glasses direct wine to different regions of the tongue. Nonetheless, they are well-made glasses and are infinitely better than a jelly jar for drinking wine out of.
There is much controversy surrounding the best shape for a Champagne glass. It is generally agreed that the older design of a shallow, wide glass doesn't allow you to taste the wine very well. However, the present-day standard of a tall, thin "flute" for Champagne has also been challenged by people who claim that Champagne tastes better out of a standard wine glass than a flute. If you have both at home, try a taste test and see which you prefer.
For people who don’t want Riedel glasses, there are several lower-cost alternatives. As previously mentioned, Spiegelau and Schott-Zwiesel sell lower-cost glasses built along similar lines to the Riedel glasses. Other people like the glasses sold at Ikea and Beds, Bath and Beyond. If you have the chance, taste a wine out of several different glasses and see just how much difference a more expensive glass makes to you.
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Mark Lipton