What's the Best Type of Wine Glass?

Last time, our senses of sight, touch, taste and smell were discussed.  The look and feel of a wine glass plays an important role in our wine drinking experience, as does smell and taste.  But, the shape of the wine glass also plays an important role.

Red wine glasses are generally taller and are tapered at the top to help keep in some of the wine's aroma. The bowls of red wine glasses are larger and rounder with a larger opening than other wine glasses of similar capacities in order to allow your nose into the glass to smell the aroma. This bowl style is also important because the complex aromas and flavors of red wine require a glass with a larger surface area to ensure that the wine comes in contact with plenty of air. 

Conversely, white wine glasses are a bit shorter and have smaller bowls. The bowl of a white wine glass will be more U-shaped with the sides being more upright than that of a red wine glass, allowing the aromas to be released. 

With both red and white wine glasses, you should choose clear glass for the bowl, stem and base.  This is important because it allows you to see the true coloring of the wine without it being obscured. And, color matters.

But do you need both types of wine glasses? You can certainly get by with one set of glasses, but when drinking a number of different varietals you may find that the glassware is limiting your experience, especially if you choose to drink red wine out of a smaller white wine glass.  So, plan on having at least two types of wine glasses.  Some would also recommend having a third type, a flute, for sparkling wine. But, unless you just want to look at a lot of bubbles, go with a white wine glass. 

While the various shapes and sizes can be overwhelming, a proper varietal-glass pairing can make a difference.  Oh, and then there's the subject of the stem.  And, that's a whole other story that we'll address next time.

So, whether it's a red or a white, find the proper glass, fill it no more than a third full, swirl, smell, sip and savor. Cheers!

Can a Wine Glass Make Your Wine Taste Better?

You may have read articles, seen ads or simply seen in stores that there is a large variety of wine glass shapes and sizes. Some wine glass manufactures will make different wine glasses for each of the different wine varietals. And you ask yourself, "Does it make a difference which wine glass I use?"

Enjoying a nice glass of wine can be an experience.  And, to a certain degree, the glass that you use can add to that experience. There are several characteristics of a wine glass that can affect your wine drinking experience. But first let's start with the basics. Your tongue plays a huge role in what you taste, but your nose also plays an important role. So to get the most out of anything you eat or drink, those two senses are critical.  Then there are the senses of sight and touch. These too can play important roles in the wine drinking experience.

So taste, smell, touch and sight are factors.  What does that mean for enjoying a glass of wine?  Well, if you are served a glass of wine in a paper or plastic cup, your senses are going to tell your brain one thing versus being served a glass of wine in a tall, thin wine glass made of fine crystal.  So right away you are going to have a better wine experience with the fine crystal. 

What does this mean for choosing the right wine glasses?  That size, shape and feel of a wine glass are important to the wine drinking experience.

Size - Generally speaking, a wine glass should never be filled more than one-third full.  But to make the quantity in the glass a reasonable amount, you need to pour 3 to 4 ounces of wine into it. Thus, a wine glass needs to hold at least 9 to 12 ounces.

Shape - Most all wine glasses are bowl-shaped; broader at the bottom and narrower at the top.  The reason for this is to give the wine a relatively large surface area in the base to expose the wine to air and allow for aromas to be released.  The narrower top will somewhat trap the aroma in just the place where your nose is naturally going to end up. This way both the sense of smell and taste will come directly into play as you sip the wine.

Feel -- When you see a wine glass, and then pick it up, you are immediately going to use your sense of touch. The thickness of the glass will directly affect the weight of the glass. And generally, a thinner, light-weight wine glass is going to fell better in your hand.  A thinner glass without a lip at the top is also going to be nicer on your lips as you sip the wine. And, the thickness of the stem will also play a part, with a thinner stem having a more delicate feel as you pick up the glass.

So is the kind of wine glass you use going to make your wine better?  The simple answer is yes!  Your senses of sight, touch, smell and taste are going to affect the way you perceive the wine. And so, using the right wine glass is going to be an important factor in your overall wine experience.

More on glasses next time. But for now, I lift my glass to you. Cheers!

Sparkling Wines in the United States

It should be no surprise that the great wine producing states in the U.S. also produce great sparkling wines. And while French Sparkling wine from the Champagne region still sets the standard, many U.S. sparkling wines are on-par with their French counterparts.

Sparkling wine has traditionally been associated with the holidays.  And, indeed, 30%-40% of sparkling wine sales occur during the holidays. But, sales of sparkling wines are increasing year-round in the U.S. People are finding just how well sparking wine goes with so many foods and how wonderfully refreshing it is as a summertime drink.

California, Oregon and Washington are producing great sparkling wines. These sparkling wines are being produced with the same grapes used in Champagne and yielding comparable results at much more approachable prices.  But, did you know that New Mexico is also producing sparkling wines that score highly?  These are great tasting sparkling wines at a great value and should not be overlooked.

The U.S. sparkling wine producers are taking direct aim at the young consumers of beverages by producing and marketing unique, handcrafted, small  batch offerings that range from the fruity styles (like Prosecco) to more complex offerings.  And look for great rosé sparkling wines being produced in the U.S. While some are sweeter than others, there are many great rosé sparkling wines that are dry (no residual sugar). 

In the U.S., you will find many excellent 90+ sparkling wines in the $40 to $100 range and an even greater assortment of top value sparkling wines in the $15 to $25 range.

Remember, sparkling wines go well with a variety of foods and should be part of a meal, and not just reserved for special occasions.  And don't be ashamed to enjoy a sparking wine with salty snacks. You'd be surprised how well they pair. Serve all sparkling wines in a traditional white wine glass to experience the full-body and flavors they have to give.  

Excuse me while I go pop the cork on a nicely chilled bottle. Cheers!

Italian Sparkling Wines - Prosecco and Asti

France has its Champagne. Spain has Cava. In Italy, Prosecco and Asti are its two most popular sparkling wines.

Prosecco is primarily from the Veneto region of Italy and made from the Glera grape.  Like Champagne, Prosecco must be produced in designated regions of Italy to be called Prosecco on the label. Unlike Champagne and Cava that undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle (the 'traditional method'), Prosecco is produced using the Charmat ('transfer') method.  Using this process, large quantities of wine are kept under pressure in stainless steel tanks during the second fermentation.  The resulting sparkling wine is then bottled. While most people can't tell the difference in the secondary fermentation process used, it is generally believed that the traditional method results in smaller, more persistent bubbles, while the transfer method results in lighter bubbles, being almost frothy, and having a creamier feel in the mouth.  Prosecco tends to be fruiter than Champagne and usually sweeter. Prosecco has been described as having flavors of melon, peer, apple, honey suckle and cream.  There are three main styles of Prosecco: Brut has up to 12 gram per liter of residual sugar, while Extra Dry has 12-17 gm/liter and Dry has 17-32 gm/liter.  Prosecco also tends to be lower in alcohol, around 11-12%  And, nice entry-level bottles of Prosecco are easily found in the $12 - $15 range. 

Asti is another popular sparkling wine from Italy. It is produced in the Piedmont region around the towns of Asti and Alba from the Moscato Bianco grape.  Originally known as 'Asti Spumante' (spumante means fully sparkling), the name was shortened to just Asti in 1993 when it received its official designation.  This fully sparkling wine has an alcohol content around 8% to 9% by volume. Sharing the Asti designation is Moscato d'Asti that is also made from the Moscato Bianco grape. This sparkling wine is typically in the frizzante style (frizzante means lightly sparkling). Like Asti, Moscato d'Asti is made using the transfer process, but the fermentation is stopped quite early, resulting in a sparkling wine that is sweet, has fewer bubbles and is low in alcohol (5-6%). Because Moscato d'Asti is lightly sparkling, it is typically packaged with a standard bottle and cork. Both Moscato d'Asti and Asti sparkling wines can be found in the $10 - $15 range.

These Italian sparkling wines are not meant for aging and should be consumed young and fresh. So pick up a bottle or two, chill them, and enjoy them right away. Cheers!

Cava - The Spanish Sparkling Wine

In the 1800s, Spain began producing sparkling wines to mimic their French neighbor's Champagne and they called it Champaña.  But in the 1970s, French regulations were put into place such that only sparkling wine produce in the Champagne region of France could rightfully be called Champagne.  So, the Spanish re-named their sparkling wine for the caves or cellars where the sparkling wine was kept for aging. Hence the name Cava.

Cava, mostly produced in Penedes near Barcelona, is traditionally produced from three regional grapes: Macabeo (~50%), Xarel-lo and Paralleda. But, Chardonnay and Pinot are sometimes used in smaller quantities. And Cava rosé gets it color from Granacha (Grenache), Monaastrell (Mouvedre) or Pinot Noir.  Cava is produced in the traditional French method, where secondary fermentation is done in the bottle. All Cava must be at least 10% alcohol by volume but no greater than 13%. 

There are three types of Cava and multiple styles. Of the three types, Cava is aged for 9 months, Reserva for 15 months and Gran Reserva for at least 30 months.  And like Champagne, there are many styles, reflecting the amount of residual sugar:

• Brut Nature: 0-3 gm/liter 
• Extra Brut: 0-6 gm/liter
• Brut: 0-12 gm/liter
• Extra Seco: 12-17 gm/liter
• Seco: 17-32 gm/liter
• Semi-Seco: 32-50 gm/liter
• Dulce: Greater than 50 gm/liter

Cava is a sparkling wine worth trying. It can be a bit more 'earthy' than Champagne, but nice bottles can be found in the $20 range. The Spanish don't relegate their consumption of Cava to special occasions and neither should you. Cheers!