Talking about wine glasses....

There are many times I drink my wine out of a plastic cocktail glass even though I have the "Proper" stemware. That may help you decide.

Oh, I have no decision to make here. I'm not being a snob, this is more of an academic exercise. I have no intention of rushing out to buy some sophisticated stemware. I've drunk wines from everything from crystal imported from France to paper cups myself. I must say I could taste the paper. I do however agree with the pundits that for tasting purposes, a closed down top is better than a wide goblet and champagne from a flute does taste better than from a coffee cup.

My wife and I have actually done this experiment (with a friend who has actually gone out and gotten all the different size glasses and has a variety of wines, both quality and varietal - isn't it nice to know someone like that occasionally? But I digress...). I don't think glass thickness makes a difference, but the bowl shape and size can make quite a difference, apparently by giving the right surface area and directing the odor molecules correctly to the mouth of the glass. The difference shows up in the nose, even before you sip. It can make a "pizza wine" taste like it's worth half again as much.

Having said that, our tableware is "department store white" and "department store red". But I do recommend everyone try this experiment once, if only because you get to try a whole lot of different wines at the same time!

Rob

Part of wine drinking can be, but does not have to be, asthetics. I prefer to dring wine from a nice wine glass rather than from a paper cup. But given the right circumstances, I will drink from a paper cup.

Now as to the other part of your statement. I think you carry the comentators comment a bit to far about what wine goes with what food. He probably did mean to drink a wine you enjoy with the food you are eating. That does not mean that you can pair any wine you enjoy with what ever you are eating. Some wines just do not pair with certain food and it does not necessarily relate to color. I was once eating a dinner where every course in the meal was pared a different wine. But the waiter served the wine that was to go with the salad befor the salad was served. I was decidedly unimpressed with the wine. Then when the salad came out the wine brightened up and matched perfectly. The wine was a red wine but the salad had nuts in it and they complemented nicely. I commented on this to the wine steward when she came by the table and she said the server had definately erred in serving the wine too soon as it would not have paired with the appetizer that we had just finished. Incedentally, attending dinners like this can be a real learning experience and some of them can be had for $45 to $65 per person. Consider them educational.

Incidentally I agree with Paul Lehmann who posted erlier. He once told me that when you eat out you should first pick the wine you want to drink and then pick a meal that will go with it. After all you will often pay more for the wine than the entree!

Of course all of this is just my unbiased opinion. ;o) Ray

So that is where I got that idea... :)

I have nice stemware but use it once in a blue moon, I'm just too clumsy to use good glasses and them last long. They absolutely make a difference. 95% of my wine is drunk from the $1/ glass variety you see at Target or similar stores, maybe a 10 ounce glass. They are sturdy. I make sparklers too but that always goes into the good stemware though. Janice Robinson has a nice wine-drinkers bible that goes into wine glasses.

Joe

I drank all of my wine from the same glass- a beautiful wine glass that had a ceramic claw as a stem and surrounding the bowl. Nobody ever accidentally picked up my glass of wine thinking it was theirs. I had it for fifteen years.

My wife broke it last night.

Divorce proceedings will start on Monday.