Properly serving wine is important to any wine connoisseur. No educational degrees are required to earn this title, but a certain level of wine knowledge is necessary. An essential area of expertise that a wine connoisseur should possess is using the best glass for the type of wine being served. You can be confident that whatever wine bottle you pull from your custom wine cellar or wine cabinet, it has been properly stored if it is equipped with a reliable wine cooling unit that provides the right humidity levels, as well. Among the top manufacturers of wine cooling units are Wine Guardian, Koolspace, Breezaire, WhisperKOOL, and CellarCOOL.
Stemware
Beautiful wine glasses are about more than aesthetics and variety. Certain types of wine can be better enjoyed when served in one type of glass as opposed to another. What stemware is made with is equally important.
In previous times, high quality stemware was made with lead glass because of a higher refraction index and because it’s heavier than everyday glassware. Because of concerns about ingesting lead, lead-free crystal is now the preferred type of wine glass.
In theory, all that’s needed for serving wine within acceptable margins of correctness is to stock your home with one set of wine glasses for red wine, one set for white wine, and a set of Champagne flutes for sparkling wines.
Serving Red Wine
The type of glass you serve wine in does make a difference in the flavor. It should be noted that most wine glasses are designed to be used with a half glass of wine, so that there is room in which to collect aromas.
Red wines are served in wine glasses with larger bowls, for the following reasons:
- The burn of ethanol is further from the nose.
- The larger bowl makes it possible to discern more aroma compounds.
- Ethanol evaporates more effectively on a larger surface area.
- The wider opening results in a smoother taste of the wine.
Red wines contain tannins, which is a bitter or spicy taste that needs to be mitigated. The higher tannin wines are better enjoyed in a taller glass, half filled.
To Be Continued
Be sure to check back for tips on glasses for white wine and sparkling wine as well as proper serving temperatures. If you are an aspiring wine connoisseur and need proper wine storage for your home, contact us at Rosehill Wine Cellars. We specialize in building custom wine cellars, and we recommend using wine cooling units by some of the top manufacturers, such as Wine Guardian, Koolspace, Breezaire, WhisperKOOL, and CellarCOOL.
