The Good Glass

The glass makes a difference. A very big difference. Anyone saying otherwise simply has not had the experience of fine wine in a good glass.

Fine wine deserves a good glass. And the price of the glass is really no more than the wine in the glass. So...just do it. In effect, the glass pays for itself the first time you use it. And you will be glad you spent that small amount of money because the glass can give you enjoyment over and over again (unlike that wine equating to the cost of the glass, which is quaffed and gone).

A good glass adds much to the whole experience. A very big part of wine tasting involves the olfactory senses. More than the actual taste, the aromas make the wine. A good glass will have a fairly large bowl. The wine fills only a small part of this bowl. The big bowl thus provides the environment in which the wine aromas can develop and concentrate. You swirl the glass and the alcohol and complex chemical compounds in the wine volatize and lift the aromas above the wine.

A good Burgundy or Pinot Noir glass will have a very large bowl- often 25 ounces or so- and a relatively small opening. When the glass is lifted to the mouth and nose, these concentrated aromatics are then directed to the olfactory senses. With fine wine, the effect can be utterly captivating and intoxicating. Never mind the alcohol- the aromatics alone can make you swoon.
The big bowl also allows you to really swirl the wine and enjoy the beautiful colors and brilliant clarity of the wine. Trust me on this. Swirl that wine in the beautiful crystal with the long elegant stem and you too will feel more elegant and sophisticated, even if you're enjoying the wine at the kitchen table in your PJs.

What to buy? There are many good brands. Riedel is the popular gold standard but is on the pricey side.

Schott Zwiesel makes several lines with titanium and no lead in the crytal. We like these glasses alot for their beautiful lines, durability (you can put them in the dishwasher, unlike alot of crystal), environmental and health friendliness (i.e., no lead) and reasonable cost. I recently bought some of their Forte Claret Burgundy line for wine tastings at about $9 per stem, shipping included from BeverageFactory.com.

Other popular brands include Spiegelau and Peugeot.

Each of these brands has at least several lines at various price levels.

At the top end, for the connesieur, are hand blown crystal glasses that can run upwards of $100 per stem. I have never used these and can't speak to whether the additional expense makes that much of a difference. Some people swear by them. While I haven't made that splurge, if you are drinking first growth Bordeaux, or Premier Cru French Burgundy or cult California Pinot Noir, perhaps the cost is justified. A $100 stem does not seem so outrageous if it is filled with wine that is also worth $100 per glass.

But to sum up, the take away here is to buy stemware that is at least good enough to really enjoy fine wine. And that can be done at a very reasonable price.

Cheers,
Dave