Shape Of Wine Glasses And Wine Presentation

Though one can drink wine out of a plastic beaker or mug, it has been scientifically proven that the shape of a wine glass influences its perception. It has also been proved that the same wine may taste differently in varying shapes of glass. Therefore, selection of a particular wine glass for a wine may be important. This scientific study has resulted in several major glass producers, such as Riedel and Spiegelau, to refine their range of wine glasses, designing different shapes of wine glasses for different wine styles.

The study purports that a particular shape of wine glass results in the wine hitting your taste buds in a particular spot, supposed to be the best area in the mouth for that wine style. For instance, if a wine has particularly high tannin content, the glass shape will propel the liquid away from the part that registers tannin to the part of the mouth where the fruit in the wine can be enjoyed. Though glass manufacturers try their best to make consumers believe this, the idea of varietals having a specific target area in the mouth is rather speculative.

Scientific studies apart, what you really need for wine presentation is an eye-catching glass. A wine glass is generally made of three composite parts: the bowl, the stem, and the foot. The bowl should be big enough to hold a reasonable amount of wine. It should curve inwards towards the rim, since this helps to concentrate the aroma of the wine. The glass should be about two-thirds filled, so that it may be gently shaken to slowly release the aroma of the wine without spilling it.

Though you may use the same shape of wine glass for white, red, and sparkling wine, there are certain preferences. For instance, tall, fluted glasses are best for Champagne, while dessert and fortified wines taste best in smaller glasses. Another point worth mentioning is that you must stay away from coloured glasses when it comes to wine presentation. Coloured glasses do not reveal the original colour of the wine. Since the colour and aroma of a wine are the first telltale signs of a good wine, you undermine that perception by using coloured glasses.

Wine decanters make an attractive vessel from which to serve wine. Ornate wine decanters made of glass enhance both the visual and drinking pleasure of a wine. A decanter filled with red wine, glistening in candle light on a dinner table, is a treat to watch. You must know that wine, especially bottle-aged, consists of fine particles (also called sediment). Now, these particles look unsightly in the glass and ruin the pleasure of wine drinking.

Decanting is the process of separating clear liquid from the sediment. The solution is to allow the sediment to settle to the bottom of the bottle by standing the bottle upright for a day before serving it. Then you may pour the clear liquid into the decanter leaving the fine particles in the bottle. Moreover, the oxygenation during the decanting process brings out the flavours of a wine. However there is a caveat. You must not decant the wine hours before serving it, since the flavour and aroma of the wine may fade due to excessive oxygenation.