Everything you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask about... Special glasses. - TEXT + IMAGE EDITORS
A glass for every wine?
Some wine drinkers swear by it, while others think it is sheer nonsense. Glass brand Riedel thought at least one glass for white and a larger glass for red was too minimal, and came up with a glass for each grape and wine style. Other glass manufacturers followed suit, such as Royal Leerdam. We sometimes did too.
Champagne
Vinologist Barbara Verbeek taught us to banish the flûte in 2015. The glass for sparkling should be open and round, like the modern version of a 1920s coupe. 'Being able to put your nose in it is essential,' says Barbara, 'smelling while drinking contributes 85 per cent to the flavour.'
Bordeaux
Because of the tulip shape (tapering), the wine lands in the middle of your tongue, so you taste all the flavours. Don't pour the glass too full (a third). Sommelier Milton Verseput sometimes even pours his older champagnes in a bordeaux glass. 'Not in a burgundy glass, which is too wide and flat.'
Ice wine and dessert wine
Pouring fresh, around 8°C, also helps the acids do their job. Take a small tulip glass that forces the aromas to your nose. The inward-facing rim helps the wine jump past the tip of your tongue (for sweet) as the back picks up the more complex, savoury notes.
Want to know more about special glasses? You can read about it in WINELIFE 75, which you can order here here!
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