Size Matters
Shame on you! Here you thought I was going to talk about penises. I probably will at some point, but not right now. Trust me, it’s coming! (no pun intended) This post should serve as an intro to what will be part of my “Wine over Whine” podcast. COMING SOON! STAY TUNED! The “Rona” messing up my schedule!
As much as I would enjoy a conversation about sex, right now I’m talking about our other love ladies. Wine! Specifically wine glasses.
I have always had an interest in wine. Lately, I have become a bit more serious about learning about wine. In the podcast, not only will be talking about women’s issues particularly as they relate to aging, but I will also be attempting to introduce wine to my daughter. (Currently a Cosmo girl!) No baby. No Moscato!
I have never really been into the hard stuff. (Okay, we are still not talking about penisis! Is Penisis the plural for penis? Is it peni?) I think being a foodie all of my life has something to do with my interest in wine. As far as I’m concerned, nothing beats an amazing meal and some wine to compliment the meal. Or just some wine! (Okay, one thing beats it, but I said we are not going to talk about that right now!)
As part of my wine appreciation study, I attended a few wine tasting classes and really began to understand the role the glass plays in wine tasting and appreciation. When stemless glasses hit the shelves, I was excited. No more knocked over glasses at parties and red wine stains to concern myself with.
What I didn’t understand at the time was that not having a stem can make a huge difference in the taste of the wine. Why? Because the heat from your hands can warm up the wine and the wine’s temperature also makes a difference. Stems help to better retain the temperature that can impact the taste. It also keeps your hands further from your nose that might also have an odor. (lotion, perfume, soap)
The choice of glass can actually affect the taste of the wine! Certain shapes are better for enjoying certain wines. Large glasses (bowls) allow for more oxygen and make it easier to swirl. The swirling aerates the wine. You thought people just did that to look sophisticated, didn’t you? Aerating wine is exposing the wine to air and allowing it to breathe.
According to Ask Dr. Vinny from the Wine Spectator wine is made up of hundreds of compounds and with aeration, volatile undesirable compounds evaporate faster leaving the aromatic and flavorful ones behind. Thank you Dr. Vinny. There is a real science to it and I plan to dig deeper and share this experience with you all in posts to come. Decanting a wine will also work and save on some spilling! Decanting is an easy way to aerate your wine and show off your fancy decanters. They also sell these cool aerating pourers online that work well. It is amazing the difference in some red wines I have tasted after using one of those aerators. https://www.winespectator.com/wine-iq/ask-dr-vinny
Okay, back to the glasses and sizes. How does the size and shape of the glass affect your wine experience, you ask? Well, you didn’t ask, but I’m going to tell you. The olfactory receptors in your nose account for 80% of what you taste. (Learned that in culinary school) The smaller the bowl, the harder it is for aromas to escape. With reds, allow a lot of room in the glass. Don’t fill it up. You can have another glass. One-third full is ideal. The wide rim serves a purpose too. Wide rims allow space for your nose! Mine is sizable and my lips are tiny, so the struggle is real ya’ll.
With white wines, the glass shape is taller because unlike red, you want less contact with air. The shape of the glass allows enough room for aromas to be released while helping to maintain the chill temperature. Most of what I have studied pertains mostly to reds since those are my preference, but nothing like a crisp white on a hot summer day!
At the end of the day, the wine matters more than the glass. That being said, wine aficionados say the glass has an impact on your wine drinking experience, so choose wisely. Now feel free to go back to staring at the naked man.
Cheers!
Beautiful post, thank you!
Thank you for reading and for your comment. I have some new wine-related content coming soon!