View As PDF - Wine Country This Week

I N T E L L I G E N C E f O R T H E W I N E C O N S U M E R
by Len Napolitano
Why do wineglasses come in a variety of shapes?
There is an art and science to designing the proper wineglass. When
served at the proper temperature, the best qualities of a wine will come
forward when served in a glass that is designed to bring out the best in
that particular wine. I learned this firsthand from a demonstration by
Riedel Glass, an Austrian glass manufacturer widely acknowledged to be
one of, if not the world’s leading wineglass producers.
Their philosophy is simple. The content of the glass determines the
shape. And for each wine style, from light, acidic white wines to fullbodied
reds with high alcohol levels, and everything in between, Riedel
has a wineglass to fit it.
The difference between tasting wine from an inappropriate glass and
one designed for that particular wine is an eye-opening experience. From
the moment you stick your nose inside the glass, to savoring the wine’s
finish, the right wineglass will help define the true aroma and flavors of
the wine.
There is a specific bowl shape for each type of wineglass:
Sparkling Wines: Tall, narrow, glass allows the wine’s bubbles to form
at the bottom and rise to the top better than in a wider, shallower glass.
The tall shape also celebrates the richness of the sparkler on the palate.
White Wines: Shorter than a champagne glass, with a medium
diameter bowl. This combination helps to release a fruity, acidic white
wine’s aroma quickly and gets your sense of smell working immediately.
Use this type of glass for Riesling, a French Chablis, Pinot Grigio and
Sauvignon Blanc. A more robust white wine, such as a full-bodied
Chardonnay or Viognier, will be better served in a glass with a slightly
larger diameter bowl, as this helps the wine breathe, releasing its full
aromas.
Red Wines: A glass for light to medium-bodied red wines, like Pinot
Noir, is one with a slightly wider bowl than that for white wine, and with
a rim that delivers the wine into the palate with precision. This type of
glass emphasizes the fruit flavors of the wine as much as its aromas. Some
will have a taller than average bowl to help direct the wine to the tip of
the tongue as it enters the mouth, where its fruitiness will be detected
first. The aim here is to balance the flavor and texture of the wine as the
initial sensations of the wine are experienced. Heavier red wines, like
Cabernet Sauvignon need the largest bowl of all in order to mix as much
wine as possible with air and allow you to stick your nose inside the glass
to fully appreciate the wine’s bouquet. This shape will bring out the most
in these big red wines, which, in general, tend to have more complexity
and more intense flavors than other wines.
Dessert Wines: Because dessert wines are meant for sipping very
small quantities at a time, these glasses will have very small bowls. In
addition, the shape allows the wine to flow over the tip of the tongue and
along its sides to experience the full effect of the wine’s rich flavors. This
glass is good when drinking sweet white wines like Sauternes or late
harvest Riesling. When drinking sherry and port wines, the strong aroma
coming from the higher alcohol levels of these wines must be tamed and
not permitted to overpower the rest of the wine’s bouquet. Thus, the
bowl for these wines is slightly tapered to prevent you from putting your
nose inside the glass and getting too much of the vapors from the
alcohol.
Len Napolitano lives in San Luis Obispo County and is certified in wine by the Society of Wine Educators,
Wine & Spirits Education Trust and Chicago Wine School and continually gains knowledge from his frequent contact
with California winemakers. More information is on his website, www.wineology.com.
Send your questions about wine to: wineologist@earthlink.net or by mail to Len Napolitano in care of
Wine Country This Week magazine. Wineology is a registered trademark of Len Napolitano.
10
Follow us on Twitter @WineCountryTW