It's amazing that the history of wine counts thousands of years, but the fact that the taste of wine depends on the properties of the glass from which it is drunk, was calculated only by one person - a professor of Austrian descent, a hereditary glassblower Carl Josef Riedel. And more recently, only about fifty years ago. One can say that Riedel designed the form of taste, and some wine critics say that he gave the second life to blame. Perhaps this is an exaggeration, but let's try to figure out why this theory works? How to choose the right glasses for wine, find out in the article on the topic "What should be wine glasses".
Physics and chemistry
A good wine "knows" its glass. Where from? There is a scientific explanation for this. Even two. The first is chemical. The fact that the shape of the glass affects the content of phenols - aromatic compounds, which determine the bouquet and even the taste of wine. In a wide glass, where the area of contact of wine with oxygen is greater, phenols quickly turn into ethers, which give the wine a clear, pronounced dry taste. The second explanation is biological. The glass helps us to direct the "flows" of wine and distribute them in the mouth so that the most winning notes we feel first, and some nuances of the glass muffle makes them more invisible. So, a wide, "open" glass is convenient for small sips, and a narrow long makes us practically toss your head back with each sip. And these two sips will fall into different taste zones. The error in choosing a glass - and now you are wondering what you paid such money for, why the seller so praised this wine, really cheated?
To everything, your glass
Of course, if you come to a specialized wine boutique (and it's better to buy glasses for wine there, rather than in the "kitchen department" of the department store), then specialists will help you find what you need. Professional glasses can be both very expensive, handmade from crystal, and quite democratic at a price, but no less "correct." The first thing you should pay attention to is the color of the glass and the thickness of the walls. A glass for wine can only be transparent, because it is with color that the acquaintance with wine begins. Before taking a sip, enjoy a straw or amber, ruby or maroon shade of the drink, look at the bubbly bubbles: they rise from the center of a smooth or spiraling track, "say hello" to the wine. The walls of the glass should be thin and perfectly even, without thickening on the rim. And now let's deal with the form. The easiest way to choose a glass for champagne. The most famous form is called flute, actually because it resembles a flute. This glass should be about 170 ml volume, taper from above, but not be too elongated, so you do not have to tilt your head heavily, taking a sip. Pour the champagne you need about half a glass, and drink it in large sips. Slightly tapered edges do not hold back fragrances, the average volume allows them to rise quickly and profitable to show. This wine should go on a very different path: pass the tip of the tongue and touch the areas of the tongue, sensitive to acidity. For such wines need rounded glasses with a "wide entrance", and then the richness of taste will complement the tender sourness. Try these Chardonnay glasses from Burgundy (the shape of the glass is called "Chardonnay") - amazing sensations! Dry pink wines like "tulip" shaped glasses with slightly open edges. These glasses allow you to emphasize the fresh aroma and characteristic notes of red berries, which are felt better on the tip of the tongue. Red wines with a rich bouquet and a full body choose glasses of a large volume (from 500 ml). Such glasses should reveal, emphasize the acidity and variety of aromas that conceal the wine. Glasses for Bordeaux wines should be more elongated, with tapering tops, glasses for Burgundy red should have the shape of a ball, with a "wide entrance". To drink French good wines from unsuitable glasses is not just wrong, it is the loss of quite a lot of money paid for wine: you will not feel completely the taste or aroma that can stun you. Light fruit and red wines are good in medium-sized glasses, resembling a rosebud. Their freshness and mystery are most effective. Now we know what glasses should be for wine.