Wine Glasses: A History
Since before there was wine, there were vessels to hold it. Yes, as unbelievable as it might sound, there were containers that held liquid before wine was created. Along with the standard silver, gold or pewter goblets, there were baked clay pottery, gourds made of leather and even animal horns were used for containing wine for consumption. These were the utensils used when one was making the attempt to appear civilized, otherwise drinking straight from the much larger storage unit was completely acceptable.
Even though as far back as 50 A.D., ancient scientist Pliny the Elder encouraged glass as the preferred vessel for containing wine, it was not feasible due to the fact that glass was one of the most highly treasured materials of that time and ancient technology made glass making far too expensive and difficult a process. In fact, the earliest version of the wine glass, consisting of a base, stem and foot dates back to the 15th Century. Of course today glass is very easy to produce which makes it extremely affordable compared to previous centuries, even as late as the beginning of the 20th century glass was difficult to mass produce. One can understand how glass was just as expensive as precious metal a few hundred years ago.
During the Industrial Revolution the mass production of glass became the norm and suddenly the working class folks could afford sets of wine glasses. Glasses were sold in sets containing a dozen and suddenly all sorts of glasses were made affordable such as champagne flutes, wine goblets, and sherry glasses. This time in history made glass the preferred materiel for wine and suddenly people could covet the color and body of the wine, which as most of us know is just as important as taste and imperative to getting the full experience out of the wine. Glasses are now shaped specifically to enhance the bouquet of each type of wine (red, white and blush). These advancements put a whole new element into wine drinking and enjoyment.
This site will discuss the importance of wine glasses and their shapes and how it relates to each wine. The shape and size is very important in order to fully experience the enjoyment of wine. When you consider all the other vessels used for drinking wine (ostrich egg cups dipped in silver, a piggin, a noggin and a bombard) glass as a material is by far superior and preferred.
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