Wine is about more than the taste. There is a depth to wine that is important to the true wine connoisseur. You have to respect that every aspect of wine should be enjoyed in order to truly appreciate the beauty and the design of the wine. That is why a true wine lover will know that the glasses you use to serve wine are almost as important as the drink that goes in the glass.
Wine glasses help to present the wine in its best light. You have to choose glasses carefully or you risk muffling the full flavor and body of the wine. With so many wine glass choices, though, choosing a good wine glass can be tricky. You just have to learn the basics so you can become a real wine expert.
Recognizing what a Good Glass Accomplishes
As mentioned, enjoying wine is about more than taste. You want to look at the color of the wine and take in the aroma of the wine. All these aspects come together. Wine tasting is all about using each of the five senses to enjoy the beauty of the drink.
Wine glasses help to bring out the look and the aroma of wine. The shape of the glass and its depth both work together to either present the wine in the best light or stump its abilities.
Choosing the right wine glass is imperative to bringing forth the full personality of a wine. Choosing the wrong glass will diminish the greatest of a wine and perhaps make it less enjoyable than it should be.
Making a Good Pairing
Pairing a wine with the glass is all about recognizing what the glass does for the wine. Here's a look at the two most popular shapes of glasses:
Tall and thin: Tall and think glasses will condense the aroma and allow for a great overall look at the wine. This type of glass is perfect for champagne because it allows one to enjoy the bubbles. You want to use this glass type for delicate, white wines.
Wide and Broad: Wide glasses with broad rims really spread out the aroma and give a look at the depth of the wine. This type of glass should be used with bolder, red wines. You may use this for your merlot or cabernet.
You have to remember the bottom line is that you want your glass to show off everything your wine has to offer. If your glass is stunting a particular feature of the wine then it is not the right glass.
On last tip that goes along with choosing the right glass is using the glass to its fullest to present your wine. Even with the best wine glass you can still mess up the presentation if you pour the glass too full. Always pour wine to only 1/3 or ½ of the depth of the glass. With this trick when you choose the right glass your wine will really be shown off to the fullest.
Riedel Ouverture Red Wine Glass, Set of 2
