Why
do people drink wine out of wine glasses?
A great wine glass is plain, colourless, and tulip-shaped.
It has a very thin lip and is made of crystal. The tulip shape allows for the
concentration and collection of a wine's aroma. The stem allows the glass to be
held without warming the wine with your body heat. A thin, properly shaped lip
guides the flow of the wine in such a way that the smooth stream touches the
most sensitive areas of the tongue. Crystal has a rougher surface than regular
glass and therefore helps wine release its aromas as you drink.
Wine
glass
A wine glass is a type of glass stemware that is
used to drink and taste wine. It is generally composed of three parts: the
bowl, stem, and foot. Selection of a particular wine glass for a wine style is
important, as the glass shape can influence its perception.
Use
The appropriate way to hold a wine glass, especially
when drinking chilled wine, is to grasp it by the stem, in order to prevent the
temperature of the wine being affected by body heat.
Materials
High quality wine glasses once were made of lead
crystal, which has a higher index of refraction and is heavier than ordinary
glass, but health concerns regarding the ingestion of lead resulted in their
being replaced by lead-free crystal. Wine glasses, with the exception of the
hock glass, are generally not coloured or frosted as doing so would diminish
appreciation of the wine's colour.
Shapes
The effect of glass shape on the taste of wine has
not been demonstrated by any scientific study and remains controversial. It is
however believed by some that the shape of the glass is important, as it
concentrates the flavour and aroma (or bouquet) to emphasize the varietal's
characteristic. One common belief is that the shape of the glass directs the
wine itself into the best area of the mouth from the varietal. This is based on
false ideas about the nature of taste buds on the tongue, such as the
thoroughly discredited tongue map.
Generally, the opening of the glass is not wider
than the widest part of the bowl.
Most wine glasses have stems, although stem less
wine glasses are now available in a variety of sizes and shapes as well these
glasses are typically used more casually than their traditional counterparts,
as they negate the benefits of using stemmed wine glasses.
Most common wine glasses can be divided into three
types: red wine glasses, white wine glasses and champagne flutes. Wine tumblers
(without stems) are also increasing in popularity.
Red
wine glasses
Glasses for red wine are characterized by their
rounder, wider bowl, which increases the rate of oxidation. As oxygen from the
air chemically interacts with the wine, flavour and aroma are believed to be
subtly altered. This process of oxidation is generally considered more
compatible with red wines, whose complex flavours are said to be smoothed out
after being exposed to air. Red wine glasses can have particular styles of
their own, such as
Bordeaux
glass: tall with a broad bowl, and is designed for full
bodied red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah as it directs wine to the
back of the mouth.
Burgundy
glass: broader than the Bordeaux glass, it has a bigger
bowl to accumulate aromas of more delicate red wines such as Pinot noir. This
style of glass directs wine to the tip of the tongue.
White
wine glasses
White wine glasses vary enormously in size and
shape, from the delicately tapered Champagne flute, to the wide and shallow
glasses used to drink Chardonnay. Different shaped glasses are used to
accentuate the unique characteristics of different styles of wine. Wide mouthed
glasses function similarly to red wine glasses discussed above, promoting rapid
oxidation which alters the flavor of the wine. White wines which are best
served slightly oxidized are generally full flavored wines, such as oaked
chardonnay. For lighter, fresher styles of white wine, oxidation is less
desirable as it is seen to mask the delicate nuances of the wine. To preserve a
crisp, clean flavor, many white wine glasses will have a smaller mouth, which
reduces surface area and in turn, the rate of oxidization. In the case of
sparkling wine, such as Champagne or Asti, an even smaller mouth is used to
keep the wine sparkling longer in the glass.
Champagne
flutes
Champagne flutes are characterised by a long stem
with a tall, narrow bowl on top. The shape is designed to keep sparkling wine
desirable during its consumption. Just as with wine glasses, the flute is
designed to be held by the stem to help prevent the heat from the hand from
warming the liquid inside. The bowl itself is designed in a manner to help
retain the signature carbonation in the beverage. This is achieved by reducing
the surface area at the opening of the bowl. Additionally the flute design adds
to the aesthetic appeal of champagne, allowing the bubbles to travel further
due to the narrow design, giving a more pleasant visual appeal.
Sherry
glass
A sherry glass is drink ware generally used for
serving aromatic alcoholic beverages, such as sherry, port, aperitifs, and
liqueurs, and layered shooters. The copita, with its aroma-enhancing narrow
taper, is a type of sherry glass.
Boccalino
A Boccalino is a mug used in Ticino, Switzerland, to
drink local wine (Merlot or similar). It has a volume of approximately 200 ml.
Decoration
In the 18th Century, glass makers would draw spiral
patterns in the stem as they made the glass. If they used air bubbles it was
called an air twist; if they used threads, either white or coloured, it would
be called opaque twist.
The
Difference between Crystal and Glass Stemware
Crystal is glass with lead monoxide in it and,
depending on what country you live in, percentages of lead monoxide can vary
from 1% (in the US) to 30% (in Europe). Many glassware manufacturers also make
lead-free crystal glassware with zinc and magnesium oxide, which also refracts
light. Using leaded or lead-free crystal for wine glasses is popular for two
reasons: First, the minerals cause the glass to have light refraction which
gives stemware a sparkle. Secondly, the inclusion of minerals in glass makes it
sturdy enough to be spun very thin.
Regular glass doesn’t shine the same way as crystal
but it is more affordable and also tends to be more durable.