Wine Glasses » wine glasses

Stemless Wine Glasses

Silly — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 18:30:31 +0000

A new and interesting innovation to wine glasses has been the stemless wine glass. This craze seems to be catching on and the stemless wine glass is the new black. Consumers are catching the buzz because more and more of the trendiest hot-spots, restaurants and bars are beginning to use the stemless wine glasses in place of the traditional glass. This is due in part to the wine industry trying to make the experience of wine more acceptable to the layman and stop making it feel so sophisticated or unattainable. Maybe the swirling wine in a tumbler seems more blue collar then holding a glass by the stem with your pinky held out.

Some of you may be wondering now about the temperature of drinking wine out of a tumbler. Well if you talk to the glassware companies they will tell you that the ease of a tumbler that fits into your dishwasher is much more practical and that you should probably drink your white wine a little faster so the temperature stays pleasingly cool. Of course it appears enough of you want your cake and to eat it too and apparently the industry has listened and is now making stemless wine glasses in a variety of shapes to accommodate you slow drinkers.

Many wine experts have argued that the stemless wine glass is the way to go, Riedel stemless wine glasses probably the best, but many of you are clinging on to your traditional stem ware until your nails pop off. Give the stemless ware a chance, maybe for your everyday more casual patio meal of a nice juicy steak and a glass of Cab Sav, in stemless ware! How relaxing does that sound! You can of course keep your stuff old stemware and use it for more sophisticated occasions, but this author thinks that the stemless wine glass will become the newest in class and sophistication and you slow drinkers will become the dinosaurs of the wine industry. So grab your new glass and some chocolate and curl up with your favorite blanket or sheets and enjoy.

Cheers!

Reidel Wine Glasses

Silly — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 18:12:17 +0000

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!

Wine Glasses: A History

Silly — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 03:28:19 +0000

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.

Wine Glass Charms

Silly — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:14:56 +0000

Like me, you have probably been annoyed then intrigued by that nifty little invention called the wine glass charm. Wine glass charms became a trend in the late 1990′s and continued to grow exponentially since then. At first glance or sound you notice a clinking when someone is drinking and then you think to yourself “what is that noise?” and then you notice something glinting off your mother’s wine glass and you ask “What is that?”. She promptly tells you that it is her lucky charm and that she has many charms for wine glasses. So you have a look and you instantly fall in love with the novelty of the whole idea.

If you have ever been in the situation where you are expected or just want to bring the hostess of a part a gift or looking for a unique birthday or holiday gift then look no further. That thing that at first annoyed you then won your heart is the perfect gift. Whether your recipient loves her expensive crystal wine glasses or enjoys her everyday variety wine glass, then wine glass charms are the perfect gift giving idea. Alternatively you should buy them for yourself and here’s why. Have you ever had a party or BBQ and set your wine down only to wonder later where you left it or if it is the glass on the right or left? Well with wine charms you will not have that problem as each one in a set is unique and you can always find your glass by finding your charm. It solves the “which glass is mine” dilemma perfectly.

The advantages of these novelties are as follows:

They come in sets and the sets are themed. There is something there for everyone.
You can create your own set so you have your own unique set made especially for your or your gift recipient.
They are made with many different materials ranging from pewter to gold.
They are great for wedding favors or any party for that matter
They are versatile and can be used as napkin holders or candle charms to spice up any area of the house
You will never loose your glass again! The most important

Make wine not war! Peace!