I watch a lot of Real Housewives (feel free to judge, its a guilty pleasure) and they are incredibly judgmental and particular if they are served wines, etc in improper drinkware. Does it actually make a difference in anything or are they just being sticklers to be sticklers?
EX) White wine in a red wine glass or champagne flute vs a white wine glass
In: 7
I once went to a friends parents cabin for a weekend. His mom was a wine dealer. After some discussion about this topic she retrieved a red wine (BV coastal, 2001) and poured some into a juice glass, an inexpensive wine glass, and a riedel veloce. I watched her pour it. It was a completely different wine in each glass with the riedel being the fullest and most complex of them all. Even the nose was unique to each. It was black magic.
Different wines have different qualities in terms of taste, aroma, alcohol content, etc, and the shape of the glassware can highlight (or compensate for) some of those qualities.
Red wine, for example, tends to have more complex or bold flavors than white wine, so you’ll notice that the bowl of the red wine glass is generally wider–this allows more air to come into contact with the wine and (in theory, at least) allow more of those volatile compounds to reach your nose.
Some of the differences are based in just plain practicality–port wine glasses are smaller because they’re higher in alcohol than regular wine, for example.
The traditional glassware for drinks does have some logic behind it:
* Wide glasses for drinks where aroma is important
* Narrow glasses when the drink is carbonated to create less surface area for CO2 to escape
* Stemmed glasses when the drink is served cold and without ice, so your hand doesn’t warm it up
You’re probably not going to completely ruin a drink by putting it in the wrong glass, but it’s an easy mistake to avoid. It’s hard to claim you’re a fancy wine bar if you’re serving merlot in champagne flutes.
While others have addressed wine, there are reasons for other alcohols to have different glasses as well, based on the nature of the drink.
Rocks glasses (the short ones) are designed for drinks that are either pure spirits or have a small splash of soda, as they are lower volume.
Highball glasses (a “normal” glass) are designed for drinks that have a high percentage of mixer (think a screwdriver) so they can accommodate he higher volume.
Brandy snifters are designed to warm the brandy in your hand (wide bottom) and keep the vapors in the glass for inhalation ( the narrow top).
Martini glasses are designed to have a small garnish (like an olive or onion) remain in the glass to flavor the drink.
If you take a look at glasses throughout time they have changed for example the short flat champagne cup you see in the Great Gatsby compared to the flute used now. I’d say its trends.
As you suspect, it’s mostly bullshit. But the reasoning behind it is mostly how much of your nose is inside vs. outside the glass as you sip, so you get a specific taste-to-smell ratio.
Latest Answers