Many people think that it doesn’t matter what type of glass you drink a wine from. They will always taste the same right? Well, increasingly people are favouring having a selection of different types of glass for enjoying a selection of wines.Mr Riedel (the famous wine ware producer) has his grandfather to thank for the different shaped glasses as he first came up with the concept of altering the size and shapes for better drinking.Ever since, people have been convinced that the theory is correct and you can really notice a difference is the drinking experience. Shaun Green, buyer for San Francisco based Wine Merchant K & L is someone who believes in this passionately, saying “It really does make a difference”. Riedel now have over 40 different types of wine glasses, but if you can’t afford, or haven’t got space for these glasses, which ones are vital to own?
Red Wine – You really need a big-bowled smooth and basic glass for the drinking of red wine. This enhances the ability to swish the wine in the glass and liberate its full flavours. The nose is also easily let into the body of the glass which maximises the ability to inhale the sweet aromas. This is a characteristic that is also seen in a whisky glass
White Wine – The smaller-bowled glass with a higher rim is needed for drinking white wine. This prevents any of the precious aroma from lifting over the edge of the glass and keeps the flavours tightly wrapped up before they enter the mouth.
Champagne – The long thin iconic shape of champagne flutes is needed to drink this luxury product. The bubbles are preserved in the flute better than they would be in another glass and the the narrow rim prevents the carbonated air from entering the sinuses.
All other wines basically fit into these three categories and the three styles of glass will compliment each one well. So if you haven’t got these 3, you might have some shopping to do.
