Wine glasses

The most important thing for a good wine is the quality of grapes. A properly chosen glass is very important for tasting wine, assessing the colour and clarity, defining the aroma, texture and fullness of the wine.

Every sort of grapes is different. Its quality and aroma depend on the position of the vineyard, on the kind and the quality of soil and on the way it is treated. The wine tasting depends not only on our skills, but also on the kind of the glass used. The colour and the clarity can at best be assessed when the glass is made of transparent and uncut glass, with thin walls and in the shape of a tulip.

If the glass is chosen correctly, you will experience the wine in its best version. The height of the leg is connected to the warmth that is transferred from the palm, and this stipulates the difference of developin aroma. The shape of the glass gives us a different aroma of the wine. A glass that is narrowed at the top concentrates and directs the scent, while the open top of the glass opens the scent too.

Historical development

The kind of wine determines the glass

Sparkling. white and rose wines are served when cooled to the specific temperature, most often on 10-12°C and can not handle the warmth of the palm, so the best choice for them would be a glass with high leg. A glass with short leg is good for red wines, in order to regulate the temperature of the wine which then releases its aromas and scents. Champagne and sparkling wines are best served in tall and narrow glasses so you can enjoy the „dance“ of the bubbles and taste the scent that is directed to your nosethrills.

The most common types of glasses and their names:

• laurel for red wines,
• frezio for sparkling wines,
• honey for sweet wines,
• acacia for white dry wines,
• maraska for young red and rose wines,
• water glass

Basic distribution of wine glasses:

 

	-for white wines White wines are served in tulip shaped or conical glasses with higher leg, medium volume.
	-for red wines The rule says that slightly bigger glasses, ball shaped and with shorter leg should be used for red wines.
	-for rose wine Rose and solemn wines are normally served in tulip shaped glasses that spread at the top.
	-for sparkling wines Sparkling wines are served in deep, tall glasses.
	-for special wines Special wines are: dessert, liquor and aromatized.
	-porto
	-sherry
	-liquor
	-cognac
	-for water Water is also served with wine and it demands special glass.

Holding the glass right

A glass should never be filled to the top, the best measure is one third of the glass. The glass should be held for the leg or the base, not the sole glass.

A quote by ing. Ivan Sokolić, explaining the best way to hold the glass:

"A glass should be raised to the eye level, and you should observe the foam margin, colour, clarity and sparkling. You should move the glass up and down, closer and further as to collect the impressions of delight and assess the appearance and scent. The rotating of the glass is mainly used to moisture the inner side of the glass which develops more scent so you can, with short inhaling at first, then deeper and longer inhaling better discover the scenting sensations. Then you take a small draught of wine, raise your head and move the tongue, trying to spill the wine through your mouth cavity, and then lower your head and drink the wine through pressed teeth. After swallowing, you should exhale through the nose in order to perceive the retro-nasal scent. That's how the real lovers make contact to the new-served wine and enjoy and discover its characteristics.“