Glass Matters
Before setting off on the never-ending quest for a wine that tastes that little
bit different, or is of exceptional value, there's something to consider first.
What glass will you be drinking it in?
The shape and size of the glass can seriously enhance or spoil a wine's quality and flavours.
So before you even think about discovering a wine that will blow your buddy's socks off, how about considering a simple fact first - glass matters.
It has to do with using stemware that is of the right size and has the correct surface area for the particular style of wine you're drinking. This will allowsit to impart all of its flavours to the best of its ability.
Put a massive Barossa shiraz in a tall, skinny wine glass and the wine won't impart anywhere near the aromas and flavours the winemakers had in mind when they made it.
Ever tried drinking champagne out of a short, wide wine glass? If not, give it a go and tell me what you think... it's a very unpleasant experience, in the most unsnobbish of ways.
Riedel is just one of many leading stemware manufacturers who produce a range of wine glasses for each style of grape. Name a style of wine - or almost any beverage for that matter - and Riedel has the glass for it, at a host of price-points depending on the quality of the stemware/crystal.
Managing director of Riedel's Australian arm, Mark Baulderstone, is bringing the Riedel glass masterclass to WA as part of the Good Food & Wine Show next month.
Those who are skeptical of matching glasses with wine should definitely pop along.
"There's a general level of shock when people see that difference," Baulderstone said.
"The general consensus is that a bigger glass is better. A smaller glass is for white wine, a bigger glass for red.
Baulderstone is a firm believer in the mantra that if you understand the glass, you understand how wine changes by the glass.
"It's (glass education) at an evolutionary stage and we are at the beginning, and that's why we're coming down," he said.
The company works closely with the hospitality industry so that best practice is used wherever possible.
"That's the most vital part of what we do. The whole concept was based around the industry knows the best glass to use and how the product should be delivered," he said.
And the message is simple.
"Any glass that is not designed for the grape variety will lead to an inferior wine."
And the best way to clean Riedel glasses so they don't break?
"The human element is what breaks glasses. Use a dishwasher at home to eliminate breakage," Baulderstone said.
"Hand washing is fine but you have to know how to handle a glass."
I've broken at least six or seven in the past - it might be time to get a dishwasher.
DAVID PRESTIPINO
June 17, 2010
What glass will you be drinking it in?
The shape and size of the glass can seriously enhance or spoil a wine's quality and flavours.
So before you even think about discovering a wine that will blow your buddy's socks off, how about considering a simple fact first - glass matters.
It has to do with using stemware that is of the right size and has the correct surface area for the particular style of wine you're drinking. This will allowsit to impart all of its flavours to the best of its ability.
Put a massive Barossa shiraz in a tall, skinny wine glass and the wine won't impart anywhere near the aromas and flavours the winemakers had in mind when they made it.
Ever tried drinking champagne out of a short, wide wine glass? If not, give it a go and tell me what you think... it's a very unpleasant experience, in the most unsnobbish of ways.
Riedel is just one of many leading stemware manufacturers who produce a range of wine glasses for each style of grape. Name a style of wine - or almost any beverage for that matter - and Riedel has the glass for it, at a host of price-points depending on the quality of the stemware/crystal.
Managing director of Riedel's Australian arm, Mark Baulderstone, is bringing the Riedel glass masterclass to WA as part of the Good Food & Wine Show next month.
Those who are skeptical of matching glasses with wine should definitely pop along.
"There's a general level of shock when people see that difference," Baulderstone said.
"The general consensus is that a bigger glass is better. A smaller glass is for white wine, a bigger glass for red.
Baulderstone is a firm believer in the mantra that if you understand the glass, you understand how wine changes by the glass.
"It's (glass education) at an evolutionary stage and we are at the beginning, and that's why we're coming down," he said.
The company works closely with the hospitality industry so that best practice is used wherever possible.
"That's the most vital part of what we do. The whole concept was based around the industry knows the best glass to use and how the product should be delivered," he said.
And the message is simple.
"Any glass that is not designed for the grape variety will lead to an inferior wine."
And the best way to clean Riedel glasses so they don't break?
"The human element is what breaks glasses. Use a dishwasher at home to eliminate breakage," Baulderstone said.
"Hand washing is fine but you have to know how to handle a glass."
I've broken at least six or seven in the past - it might be time to get a dishwasher.
DAVID PRESTIPINO
June 17, 2010