Does it matter from what sort of glass a wine is enjoyed?
The short answer is – absolutely!

To understand why the wine glass is important, remember the three stages of proper wine tasting: Color, Nose and Taste.

First and foremost, a proper wine glass should be transparent, so that the color and intensity of the wine can be observed. Opaque, colored, frosted and cut or patterned glass do not do the trick. Obviously, you don’t have to spend a fortune to buy clear wine glasses, but high quality crystal glasses are usually stronger, thinner and clearer than conventional glasses, which is why they are preferred by wine aficionados.

Second, the bowl of the glass should be large enough so that wine can be swirled within it. You can’t swirl a glass that is nearly full! A larger bowl also allows the wine to aerate, or “breathe,” by placing more of the wine in contact with the air.

The shape of the glass is also important. The most basic requirement is that the bowl must taper toward the top, so that the aroma of the wine is concentrated at the level of taster’s nose. In addition, years of research by Austrian glassmakers Riedel has shown that the shape of a wine glass can be optimized to enhance the flavor of specific wines. Riedel has experimented with the shape of the bowl, the size of the glass, and the proportion between the diameter of the bowl and the diameter of rim to create glasses that show off each grape and winemaking region at their best.

Check out the theory and practice of the wine glass on Riedel’s website: www.riedel.com. Then visit us at ASC Fine Wines again to order your Riedel glassware. You’ll be glad you did!