For all of the years that I have talked about wine I have never even mentioned anything about glasses. That changes today. Wine glasses can have a huge impact on the taste and aromas of wine. I’m not saying you need special glasses for every single type of wine but having at least 3 types will make a difference.
What’s in my cabinet?
White Wine, the Riedel Vivant White Wine Glass. I love Riedel glasses and would love to buy a whole set of the high end ones but Scott is known to break glasses (I’ve broken a few in my day too) and I would hate to have these beautiful glasses that I am afraid to use! The compromise is the Riedel line at Target. Great quality and you get some of the features that they are known for. The white wine glasses has a more narrow bowl that allows the aromas to be highlighted.
Red Wine, Riedel Vivant Red Wine Glass. This has a larger bowl that allows the wine to breathe and for the full flavor to be enjoyed. So what does that really mean? If you think about a red wine and how you want to drink it, having it in a glass that allows you to notice how it smells and tastes can really impact the experience.
I also have one set of glasses for bubbles. While I love champagne and sparkling wine it is not Scott’s favorite. One set of 4 has been enough for us.
We do also have one set of the Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot (Bordeaux) Wine Glass, these were a wedding gift and I save these for a complex red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon, Rioja, Tempranillo. These are the glasses that I wash very carefully.
For some of the heavier reds that need a bit of time to breathe we have the Riedel Balloon Decanter.
For the I want to sit outside on the deck and just enjoy a glass of wine nights (or by our pool as well) I have cheap steamless glasses. If they were to get broken I wouldn’t be too upset. Our set was less than $10 dollars at Target.
If you want to get really complicated and enjoy the characteristics of each type of wine, go all out and buy the whole set from Riedel. You might need to take out a loan to do so, but you can always dream
