Wine Glasses | Reidel Wine Glasses

Did you know that the shape of your wine glass will have an impact on all three assessments that wine enthusiasts base their wine on: color, smell and taste?  It is true and more than true, it is imperative if you want to enjoy the wine to the fullest that you choose the shape of the glass accordingly.

Wine color is observed best in a clear crystal wine glass.  The smell of the wine will be altered by the shape of the bowl of the glass.  For instance, red wine does best in a large wide bowl.  This greater surface area allows for the wine to oxygenate and evaporate for releasing the much bolder aroma of the red wine.

White wine on the other hand is a much more delicate liquid and requires a much smaller tighter bowl that will focus the bouquet.  Many wonder about the tall stem, especially on white wine glasses, and this is for equalizing the cooler temperatures that white wine should be drank at.  If you hold the wine glass around the bowl, your hand will warm the temperature and for white wine this can be devastating to the enjoyment.

Another type of wine, and yes it is a type of wine, is sparkling or champagne.  Champagne refers to the area in which the grapes are grown and both are bubbly.  The type of glass that is ideal for sparkling wines and champagnes is a flute glass.  Flute glasses are narrow and tall, which helps maintain the effervescence and bubbles for longer.

Taste is another sense that is affected by the shape of the glass.  The interesting way it does this is by allowing the wine to be placed onto the different taste zones of your tongue and mouth.  The wider rimmed red wine glasses allow for your head to be more forward and down so you may sip the wine.  The smaller or narrower rimmed white wine and flutes force you to tilt your head back and that places the wine further back in the mouth.  Both allow you to taste the wine across different areas of the palate which is imperative to the overall experience.

Riedel Glass, over the years, has perfected the art of creating the perfect wine glasses for all to enjoy different types of grape varieties.  Claus Josef Riedel, the innovator of Riedel glass has spent many years trying to perfect the shape and size of reidel wine glasses so that they direct the wine to the right part of the tongue and to funnel the aroma up through the nose.  Of course, purchasing Reidel wine glasses is not something that we can all attain, but for a luxury item they should be considered for the professional and amateur wine connoisseur.  Another consideration is the new riedel stemless wine glasses, designed especially for red wine varieties, are the ultimate in class and sophistication.

A few things to keep in mind whether you plan to buy plain machine made glasses or hand cut lead crystal wine glasses there is a variety of design and price ranges to be had.  The correct form of glass whether it is the riedel stemless wine glasses or your local super-mart brand, at the bare minimum they are all pleasing to the eye in form and all maintain their function.  Just remember to choose the right shape for the right wine!

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