It’s all in the glass
Rebecca Taylor
I HAVE to confess that I am a glassware geek.
The aesthetic pleasure involved in looking at wine in a beautiful glass and holding a thrillingly delicate piece of crystal is considerable, and I believe it enhances my enjoyment of the wine experience. This aside, a rubbish glass will make even a good wine taste, well, rubbish. After viticulturalists have nursed their vines, winemakers have coddled the wine and I’ve gone to the trouble of going to a shop and paying good money for a bottle, the least I can do is drink it out of something better than a jam jar.
I’ve seen a few glassware offences in my time. An old boyfriend of mine used to drink out of kitchen tumblers; another served wine in blue and pink his’n’hers plastic goblets; those tiny thick rimmed glasses that pubs still sometimes still use. Wine needs to breathe in order to release its aromatics, and given that about 90% of our sense of taste comes from our sense of smell, it stands to reason that a piddly little glass filled to the rim isn’t going to taste of much at all.
There are a lot of different types of glasses out there, but my favourites are made by Riedel. This German company is most famous for their varietal specific glasses. Their idea is that different varietals have particular aromatic qualities and that tiny differences in the shape of the glass will focus and concentrate them. This may sound a little far-fetched, and I was sceptical when I first heard of these, but I am so hooked on my Riedels that I have on occasion made the socially risky decision to bring my own glasses to a dinner party. At about $33 a glass it’s not a small investment, but well worth it in my opinion! I’m not a snob (honest!), but if I’m bringing an expensive bottle of wine to a dinner party I have felt justified at times in bringing some glasses too.
Two memorable wines from the past week showed real personality:
The Third Man Sauvignon Semillon 2010 – there’s an increasing amount of these blends available, and they are a bit of a nod to the French classics. Smelling of sunny hay fields, with nettly, gooseberry characters and a hint of musk, this has a very creamy and textural palate with a slight honey meal note on the finish and a touch of asparagus.($27)
The Third Man Pinot Noir 2009 – Now, this wine will polarise people, but that’s what I like about it! It’s kooky and a bit weird, but ultimately more fun than an airbrushed fashion plate. The nose is kind of stinky. It’s a crazy meaty, masculine style, smoky and toasty. It’s surprisingly fruity on the palate with a bit of tannic grip and a charry, tarry finish. Rustic in a good way. ($34)
The aesthetic pleasure involved in looking at wine in a beautiful glass and holding a thrillingly delicate piece of crystal is considerable, and I believe it enhances my enjoyment of the wine experience. This aside, a rubbish glass will make even a good wine taste, well, rubbish. After viticulturalists have nursed their vines, winemakers have coddled the wine and I’ve gone to the trouble of going to a shop and paying good money for a bottle, the least I can do is drink it out of something better than a jam jar.
I’ve seen a few glassware offences in my time. An old boyfriend of mine used to drink out of kitchen tumblers; another served wine in blue and pink his’n’hers plastic goblets; those tiny thick rimmed glasses that pubs still sometimes still use. Wine needs to breathe in order to release its aromatics, and given that about 90% of our sense of taste comes from our sense of smell, it stands to reason that a piddly little glass filled to the rim isn’t going to taste of much at all.
There are a lot of different types of glasses out there, but my favourites are made by Riedel. This German company is most famous for their varietal specific glasses. Their idea is that different varietals have particular aromatic qualities and that tiny differences in the shape of the glass will focus and concentrate them. This may sound a little far-fetched, and I was sceptical when I first heard of these, but I am so hooked on my Riedels that I have on occasion made the socially risky decision to bring my own glasses to a dinner party. At about $33 a glass it’s not a small investment, but well worth it in my opinion! I’m not a snob (honest!), but if I’m bringing an expensive bottle of wine to a dinner party I have felt justified at times in bringing some glasses too.
Two memorable wines from the past week showed real personality:
The Third Man Sauvignon Semillon 2010 – there’s an increasing amount of these blends available, and they are a bit of a nod to the French classics. Smelling of sunny hay fields, with nettly, gooseberry characters and a hint of musk, this has a very creamy and textural palate with a slight honey meal note on the finish and a touch of asparagus.($27)
The Third Man Pinot Noir 2009 – Now, this wine will polarise people, but that’s what I like about it! It’s kooky and a bit weird, but ultimately more fun than an airbrushed fashion plate. The nose is kind of stinky. It’s a crazy meaty, masculine style, smoky and toasty. It’s surprisingly fruity on the palate with a bit of tannic grip and a charry, tarry finish. Rustic in a good way. ($34)
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