Wine knowledge: The right glass for the wine

We all like to drink wine, sparkling wine and the like - sometimes more, sometimes less. And you probably know this too: you're happily drinking your glass of wine with friends and suddenly they appear: the self-proclaimed wine experts from your circle of acquaintances! But when terms such as "grape variety", "growing region" or "ageing" are mentioned, some of us are sure to fall silent. "How are you supposed to know all that?" That's exactly what we thought and developed this series for you! In the "Wine Knowledge" series, the wine experts from vinoa.de tell you interesting, entertaining facts and things worth knowing about wine! So you won't become a walking wine encyclopedia, but you will know the most important things about the great world of wine!

via Jessica

06/24/2016, 13:32

Today we are looking at the question: Why are there actually so many different wine glasses? And what difference does it make whether I drink my wine from a small, flat glass or a large, bulbous one? To answer these questions, we have compiled the most important facts for you.

Ornate gold goblets or filigree mouth-blown glasses?

As long as wine has been drunk, there have been drinking vessels for it. Many materials have been used throughout history: Wood, clay, ceramics, glass, silver, gold and many more. The vessels were richly decorated or simply plain, depending on whether the wine drinker was a Roman emperor or a medieval tavern visitor. However, most of the ancient vessels are not really conducive to the enjoyment of wine.

The first person to come up with the idea of designing a wine glass to suit the special character of a wine was the Austrian Claus Riedel. In the 1950s, he resisted the fashion of the time to produce heavy, polished lead crystal glasses and began to produce light and thin glasses that were intended to emphasize the aroma and taste of the wine. Since then, the focus has been on the wine itself and not on the richly decorated vessel from which it is drunk.

The four disciplines of the wine glass

A modern wine glass must be able to do four things:

Visibility. The color of the wine should be clearly visible in the glass.
Smell. The aroma of the wine, the so-called bouquet, should be shown to its best advantage in the glass.
Taste. The material and shape of the glass must be suitable for presenting the characteristics of the wine well.
Reverberation. This refers to the sound of the glass when clinking glasses, as well as the taste reverberation and mouthfeel.

To understand how these four disciplines come into their own in a wine glass, you should take a look at the elements of a wine glass. Modern wine glasses always consist of three elements: the goblet, the stem and the foot. The glass stands on the foot. The stem serves to keep the hand away from the goblet so as not to change the temperature of the wine and thus the aromas released. The wine glass should therefore always be held by the stem. A good glass is balanced so that it is stable in the hand both empty and full. The goblet, in turn, fulfills the main function of the glass. It holds the wine firmly, allows its aromas to unfold and guides it to the mouth.

Which grape varieties fit which glass shape?

Everyone knows the basic shapes of wine glasses: red wine glasses are large, white wine glasses are smaller and champagne glasses are narrow. However, there is still a huge range of varieties. We therefore explain in which glasses special wines are shown to their best advantage.

Red wine glasses

The standard glasses for red wine, which can be bought cheaply everywhere, are well suited to light and medium-bodied red wines. Chianti and Dornfelder develop their fruity aromas well in these compact glasses without evaporating too quickly.

Bordeaux glasses are significantly more bulbous and larger than standard glasses. This allows stronger aromas to develop better. As the name suggests, Bordeaux comes into its own in these glasses. But Rioja, Brunello, Barolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Blauer Zweigelt and Merlot can also develop their full potential here.

The top class of red wine glasses is the Burgundy glass. It is best suited to really expressive wines with a high alcohol content and full-bodied aroma. In the almost balloon-shaped goblets, the wine gets plenty of air contact and the aromas are evenly distributed in the glass. In addition to Burgundy, Barbera and Pinot Noir, these glasses also provide a good stage for white wines matured in wooden barrels.

White wine glasses

Normal standard white wine glasses are suitable for almost all white wines. The narrow opening prevents too much air from reaching the wine and the finer aromas of white wines from evaporating. Due to the smaller filling quantity, you always have well-chilled white wine in your glass. These glasses are ideal for elegant, light to medium-bodied white wines such as Sylvaner, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc.

Riesling glasses have a flared rim, which ensures that the fine acidity of the Riesling can have a better effect on the tongue. The narrower opening intensifies the delicate aromas on the nose. Slightly stronger, mature white wines such as Riesling go particularly well in this glass.

Sparkling wine and champagne glasses

Champagne tulips and champagne flutes have justifiably established themselves for champagne, cremant, prosecco and sparkling wine. The long style prevents the sparkling wine from warming up in the hands and the narrow, tall shape retains the carbon dioxide for longer. On the other hand, the somewhat antiquated champagne flutes are not recommended. The aroma and carbon dioxide evaporate very quickly, leaving you with a warm and stale drink in no time at all.

Material, price and care

Whether mouth-blown or machine-made, made of crystal glass or lead crystal, there are a few things to decide before you can finally pour. If the glasses are made by hand, they are of course a little more expensive, but they usually have a more beautiful sound, are thinner-walled and simply feel nicer. However, this does not necessarily change the enjoyment of the wine.

Lead crystal glasses used to be the measure of all things and they are still very popular today. The lead is of course firmly anchored in the crystal structure and poses no health risk whatsoever. Lead crystal is very robust and the glasses have a beautiful shine. Nowadays, however, crystal glass is predominantly used, which is of a much higher quality than lead crystal, has a beautiful sound and is exceptionally clear. Glasses made from this material can be produced with even thinner walls, but have the disadvantage that they are best washed by hand.

To get started with wine drinking, it is sufficient to buy a small selection of standard glasses: Red, white and sparkling wine. The price should be roughly the same as a bottle of wine to ensure the quality is right. However, this also depends on your personal requirements. Of course, it is not worth buying expensive hand-blown Burgundy glasses if you prefer to drink light white wines. That's why it's best to start with suitable glasses for your favorite wine and then taste your way through the diverse world of wine glass by glass. We wish you maximum enjoyment!

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