Messages from the Wine Glass
Living the Good Life
By Jim Bogaty
About the Author
James C. Bogaty is Founder, Owner/Operator of Veramar Vineyard, President of the Shenandoah Valley Wine Grower Association, and Member of the Board of Directors for the Shenandoah Valley Travel Association for Clarke County, Advisor to the Virginia Wine and Food Society and is a published writer and event speaker on Wine, Food, Travel and Agritourism with a Virginia focus. www.veramar.com
Messages from the Wine Glass
The wine glass’ job is to convey the “message” of the wines appearance, bouquet, and taste. Wine glass design influences the perception and drinking pleasure of the wine. The bouquet & taste depend on the form and shape of the wine glass.
A wine glass should be colorless, stemmed, transparent and thin-walled. The shape and volume of the glass are responsible for the flow of the wine and consequently where it touches the various taste zones of the tongue. Once the tongue is in contact with the wine three messages are transmitted at the same time: temperature, texture and taste. Wine is composed of different elements: fruit, acidity, mineral components, tannin and alcohol. The combination between the sense of smell and taste leads into the wonderful world of wine flavours.
The size of a glass is important, showing the quality and intensity of aromas.
Generally, red wines require large glasses, white wines medium-sized glasses. DO NOT over fill the wine glass. Less is best. A general guideline is half full gives you best results for full flavour appreciation. Serving quantities are approximately 3 oz for white and 5 oz for red wine.
Wide glass shapes for red wines require us to sip by lowering the head. Narrow rims for white wine roll the head backwards and the liquid flows because of gravity. This delivers and positions the wine to different zones of the palate. Drinking in big sips to quench the thirst will diminish the influence of the vessel, and only the aftertaste will offer flavour. In most cases we would be disappointed if the sweet fruit flavours were lacking, and tart components dominated the taste picture. If this occurs, the blame is usually put on the quality of the wine but never on the shape of the glass where it could be placed.
When swirling the glass, the wine moistens additional surface, which increases the evaporation and intensity of the aromas. However, it does not allow layers of bouquet to blend together. It is for this reason that the different qualities of aroma noted in a variety of glasses are amazing. The correct choice of wine glass enhances the flavours of wine.
It may seem a bit unnecessary to discuss how you should hold a wine glass; but, there is a right way and a wrong way and it does make a difference. Wine is served in stemware because the temperature at which it is served can have a profound impact on the tastes and enjoyment it yields. The stem of the glass rather than the bowl should always be held, since the heat of your hand will quickly warm the wine. Warming a wine above its desired serving temperature will yield unwanted and unpleasant taste characteristics. The alcohol in wine will give sharpness or 'bite' to the taste if the wine is served to warm.
Cheers from Veramar Vineyard!
About the Author
