Why is the glass important for enjoying wine?

It is widely known that there exist hundreds of designs of wine glasses, but one common characteristic they have is the narrowness on the “mouth”. This allows aromas of the wine to be concentrated and be more noticeable.

 

 

Glass characteristics

Their main characteristics is the slope of the inside base, that helps with the swirling of the glass so that the aromas are captured on the top part of the glass.

The glasses have to be columnar (the part we hold the glass from so that the contained wines’ temperature is not affected), without designs and have the shape of the letter U.

Τo enjoy the wine, glasses need to be cleaned to perfection before their use, because small dirt particles, dust, fingerprints, or traces of soap can affect it.

Getting to try the wines

Red wines are being served in wider diameter glasses, usually tulip-type, that allow the wine when it comes to contact with the surface of the wine and helps in showcasing the aromas. The air comes in contact with a larger surface of the wine and helps to highlight the aromas.

Trying a glass of the Castro Clauss Syrah, with a large size glass or a tulip-size glass, aromas of black fruits, violet and berries are noticeable, whilst ethanol assists those distinctive aromas to travel to our nose and be identified. In our mouth, the aromas will materialise with velvet tannins, completely steady taste, with an aftertaste that persists for a long time.

White and rosé wines need more narrow and smaller size glasses, so that the fresh, fruity characteristics of theirs to be concentrated and find their way towards the opening of the glass, and keep a steady temperature as well as the concentration of their aromas. If we try a sweet wine such as Castro Clauss Melissea, we pick a small glass, so that the aromas of the bergamot peel, citrusy fruits and apricot are intensified, whilst in the mouth there is the sense of sweetness with a fresh acidity.

Generally sweet wines such as Mavrodaphne Reserve 1999 ή μια Mavrodaphne Grand Reserve 1979, are being served in small glasses so that the fruity characteristics of the wines are intensified.