Jul. 14, 2010 - Issue #769: Musician’s Survival Guide
Veni, Vidi, Vino
Stemware 101
The shape of the glass can change the character of the wine
FLUTES AND COUPES » Car, wind instrument, or wine glass? / Supplied
While wine glasses (or stemware) isn't a mystery to most of us, the comment got me thinking that beyond the basic shape, there is a certain science to the appreciation of wineglass design, and while it may border on "cork dork" territory, it might be worth some consideration.
All wine glasses will have a base, a stem, and a bowl, with the exception of some fashionable designers making stemless tumblers. This is a certain point of contention, as the stem is designed to keep your hand away from the bowl. Aside from unsightly fingerprints, the warmth of your hand cradling the bowl can actually warm up your wine, thereby changing the ideal cool temperatures of white wines and lighter reds like Pinot Noirs.
The shape of the bowl is the most obvious difference, and the variety reflects characters that are specific to the varietals they hold. The shape will direct the wine into your mouth in different fashions, which will help exhibit its aromas more effectively. Red wine glasses, for example, generally have larger bowls for exposing more of the wine's surface to air, which helps develop or "open up" the wine's character. This is similar to decanting, though on a much smaller level. The tapered rim helps keep the aromas while funneling the juice to the back of your throat in the case of Bordeaux like Cabernets and Merlot. In contrast, a Burgundy glass is for lighter wines such as Pinot Noir, keeping the wine to the tip of the tongue where the sweetness can be savoured.
Conversely, a white wine glass is generally smaller, allowing the aromas to be enjoyed while maintaining a cooler temperature. Smaller still are sparkling and dessert wine "flutes" which will maintain carbonation and encourage the drinker to savour it in smaller sips, as dessert wines and ports are quite sweet.
Obviously, nine times out of 10 your choice of wine glass will depend on taste, style and price tag, but for those wine drinkers looking to maximize their experience, experimenting with stemware is a fun and rewarding challenge. V
vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus
Privacy Policy:
Vue respects your privacy. We will not forward your personal information to any other organization except as required by law, and will use your e-mail address only to respond to your comments. We reserve the right to edit and remove comments for length, clarity and/or if they are illegal or inappropriate. Your email address is never shown to visitors to vueweekly.com. Read the whole policy at: http://vueweekly.com/privacy
Comments policy
Comments go online directly without first being seen or reviewed by editors at Vue. Don't personally attack people, don't be defamatory, don't be spam-atory, don't hawk your band, don't pretend to be someone else, be clear, be on topic, be nice. Read our extended comments policy here. »
We use Disqus for our comments system. What's that all about?
We found that managing the comment community at Vue was easier to do with a system like Disqus. If this isn't straightforward to you, get help here.