Raise Your Glasses!

by Fred Konopaki

I’ve been renovating my new house over the past month; I have a baby on the way, my first. And I’ve been drinking a lot of wine. Rather than use a customary wine glass, lately I’ve been quaffing out of a cheap tumbler - because power sanders and crystal, unequivocally, do not mix. But neither do Pinot Noir and plastic, because when you really think about it the pleasures of wine tasting are inextricably linked with the qualities of the glass itself; the glass is the instrument used to convey the message hidden in the wine.

When assessing a wine, tasters are looking at three key factors: colour, aroma and taste. And when it comes to stemware these factors are in turn affected by the shape and size of the serving vessel, and to a lesser extent the serving portion. Compare wine glasses to a pair of headphones for your iPod: those little white ones will do the trick in a pinch, but if you’ve ever rocked your iPod with a set of high-quality ear goggles you’ll know where I’m coming from. It’s the same with wine and wine glasses; you will get much more sensory input from a fine wine glass.

In the 1950’s Austrian Professor Claus J Riedel (REE-del) was the first to understand the relationship between the aroma and taste of a wine and the glass from which it is served. In 1961 Reidel introduced the first line of wine glasses created in different shapes and sizes and tailored specifically to varietals. Since then the line has expanded immensely: among many others there are glasses for Old World Cabernet, New World Cabernet, Syrah, Zinfandel, American Chardonnay, French Chardonnay (Burgundy), Riesling, Champagne etc. In short, a glass for every wine.

The shape of the glass is responsible for the quality and intensity of the bouquet as well as how the wine flows into your mouth. Riedel’s theory holds that because each grape varietal has its own characteristics each wine glass should be tailored to bring out those characteristics in the most dramatic way possible. Riedel even goes so far as to suggest that old Cabernet is different than young Cabernet is different than American Cabernet is different than a Cabernet-based Bordeaux - and that each should have its own unique vessel. Sound far-fetched? Well, maybe a bit extreme but I can assure you that it is true. As you bring your wine glass to your lips your taste buds are on alert. In a varietal-specific Riedel glass the wine is directed to the appropriate areas of your tongue that account for the perception of the four tastes: sweet, salty, acidic and bitter. This in turn gives you the different taste pictures of the wine you’re drinking.

From my personal experience I find that I use my olfactory sense far more than my palate when judging the provenance of a wine or the grape varietal. Here the size of the glass is important, allowing the taster to “nose” through the various layers and nuances of aroma, down past the fruity and flowery notes to the more earthy tones below. A larger glass allows for the development of these aromas, especially when swirling the wine around the bowl. For red wines your glass should be a minimum of twelve ounces but ideally twenty or more (I’ve seen Riedel Red Burgundy glasses that will hold an entire bottle of wine!). Whites, being a little more restrained, benefit from a slightly smaller vessel - under twenty ounces but definitely more than twelve. Try swirling a white around an eight ounce restaurant glass and you’ll see what I mean.

The last consideration is portion size. Whenever possible, whether at home or in a restaurant, fill your glass no more than one third the total volume, one quarter is even better. This will allow you to better judge the colour of the wine as well as provide ample room for swirling and “nosing” your wine.

Here are the glasses you need at home. The first is a balloon-shaped glass with a larger bowl and an open mouth. These are great for Pinot Noirs from America or Burgundy, as well Barolos from Northern Italy. These glasses have excellent aeration qualities that these tightly knit wines often need. For most other reds a glass with an oval-shaped bowl that narrows at its mouth is perfect. For whites model your choice after the oval-shaped red glass but slightly smaller; when inhaling the aromas of a delicate white wine you don’t want to lose even the tiniest nuance by using a massive glass. Lastly, everyone should have a few Champagne flutes kicking around because, face it, you don’t drink enough Champagne!

Two more points and it’s back to my sanding. One: you don’t need to spend a ton of money on Riedel; try to find glasses made by Speigelau or especially Lara. They’re inexpensive and very good. Second: the next time you order a ten dollar glass of wine in a restaurant and they put it in a dreadful glass, please say something. If you don’t do something about apathy who will?