Eddie Money asked:


How To Choose The Right Wine Glasses?

Only a wine enthusiast can understand the importance of wine glass ware. The quality of glassware can greatly enhance the wine experience from bad to good or vice versa. Bowl, stem and foot are the three parts that make up a wine glass. You have to choose wisely, while purchasing a wine glass, as the shape and quality of the glass reflect upon the quality of the wine. It is widely believed that people give more attention to the glasses than to the wine. These days the wine glass has emerged as a status symbol, just like Rolls Royce is in the world of automobiles. Before using a wine glass, one must know the correct way of handling a glass. The wine glass is one of the most delicate pieces of stemware. As there are different kinds of wine, so are the proper ways of handling each of them when in a wine glass. The most common way of holding a wine glass is by its stem, which should be tucked in between the fingers. A wine glass in never held from the bowl (except with red wine) because when the bowl of the glass comes in contact with the skin, the body heat gets transferred to the wine and slowly erodes the aroma and the taste.

The materials of a wine glass are equally important, because they have an affect on the temperature of the wine almost instantaneously. Drinking from a wine glass made from fused or cut glass, isn’t a pleasurable experience. The reason being, that such types of glasses interfere with the flavor of the wine, as well as create a rough thick lip (part of the glass where the wine is sipped from). However, glasses made from blown glass are widely accepted by casual wine drinkers, as its lip is slim and smooth. Another material used in the manufacturing of wine glasses is ‘Lead Glass.’ The result is a high quality wine glass, which is cherished by the elite of the wine drinking community.

Another factor that affects the quality of a wine glass is its shape. The shape of the wine glass preserves the wine’s aroma as well as its taste. The shape also helps position the glass in the most optimum way, so as to direct the flow of the wine in a suitable manner. Gulping or taking big sips from a glass of wine is considered atrocious. A very important part of a wine glass is the ’stem’. When holding a wine glass, its always the stem of the glass that should come in contact with the hands. This prevents warming of the wine due to body heat. The stem also prevents smothering of the bowl with fingerprints, thus keeping the texture of the bowl intact.

In all, there are three types of wine glasses:

Red Wine Glasses: The characteristics of a red wine glass are its round shape and a wider bowl. In case of the red wine, a person can hold the glass by its bowl, because the red wine is always served at room temperature. Therefore, there is no risk of the wine getting spoiled.
White Wine Glasses: These glasses are a bit narrower than the red wine glasses, so as to retain the wine’s temperature. They also have a slightly straightened sides.
Champagne Flutes: Commonly known as champagne glasses, they are very slim in size and have a long stem with tall narrow bowl at the top. Champagne is often sparkly (due to the presence of carbon-di-oxide) in appearance and in order to preserve this characteristic and prevent it from dissipating they have tall, narrow bowl. These types of glasses or flutes are used on special occasions only, like weddings, award ceremonies and black tie events.

Always remember, wine glasses are equally importantly as the wine they serve. It’s an intricate ballet of style, taste and panache. A wine glass has the capability to change the entire experience of wine tasting. An impeccable wine has to be served in an exquisite wine glass.

This article has been written by an expert at Greatest Wine Glass (http://www.greatestwineglass.com/). Greatest Wine Glasses are known for their customised wine glasses. Check out their introductory offer online at http://www.greatestwineglass.com/.


Amari

Eddie Money asked:


Only a wine enthusiast can understand the importance of wine glass ware. The quality of glassware can greatly enhance the wine experience from bad to good or vice versa. Bowl, stem and foot are the three parts that make up a wine glass. You have to choose wisely, while purchasing a wine glass, as the shape and quality of the glass reflect upon the quality of the wine. It is widely believed that people give more attention to the glasses than to the wine. These days the wine glass has emerged as a status symbol, just like Rolls Royce is in the world of automobiles. Before using a wine glass, one must know the correct way of handling a glass. The wine glass is one of the most delicate pieces of stemware. As there are different kinds of wine, so are the proper ways of handling each of them when in a wine glass. The most common way of holding a wine glass is by its stem, which should be tucked in between the fingers. A wine glass in never held from the bowl (except with red wine) because when the bowl of the glass comes in contact with the skin, the body heat gets transferred to the wine and slowly erodes the aroma and the taste.

The materials of a wine glass are equally important, because they have an affect on the temperature of the wine almost instantaneously. Drinking from a wine glass made from fused or cut glass, isn’t a pleasurable experience. The reason being, that such types of glasses interfere with the flavor of the wine, as well as create a rough thick lip (part of the glass where the wine is sipped from). However, glasses made from blown glass are widely accepted by casual wine drinkers, as its lip is slim and smooth. Another material used in the manufacturing of wine glasses is ‘Lead Glass.’ The result is a high quality wine glass, which is cherished by the elite of the wine drinking community.

Another factor that affects the quality of a wine glass is its shape. The shape of the wine glass preserves the wine’s aroma as well as its taste. The shape also helps position the glass in the most optimum way, so as to direct the flow of the wine in a suitable manner. Gulping or taking big sips from a glass of wine is considered atrocious. A very important part of a wine glass is the ’stem’. When holding a wine glass, its always the stem of the glass that should come in contact with the hands. This prevents warming of the wine due to body heat. The stem also prevents smothering of the bowl with fingerprints, thus keeping the texture of the bowl intact.

In all, there are three types of wine glasses:

Red Wine Glasses: The characteristics of a red wine glass are its round shape and a wider bowl. In case of the red wine, a person can hold the glass by its bowl, because the red wine is always served at room temperature. Therefore, there is no risk of the wine getting spoiled.

White Wine Glasses: These glasses are a bit narrower than the red wine glasses, so as to retain the wine’s temperature. They also have a slightly straightened sides.

Champagne Flutes: Commonly known as champagne glasses, they are very slim in size and have a long stem with tall narrow bowl at the top. Champagne is often sparkly (due to the presence of carbon-di-oxide) in appearance and in order to preserve this characteristic and prevent it from dissipating they have tall, narrow bowl. These types of glasses or flutes are used on special occasions only, like weddings, award ceremonies and black tie events.

Always remember, wine glasses are equally importantly as the wine they serve. It’s an intricate ballet of style, taste and panache. A wine glass has the capability to change the entire experience of wine tasting. An impeccable wine has to be served in an exquisite wine glass.

Felicia

Sep
18
Caroline Silverstone asked:


What makes wine add such a touch of sophistication to just about anybody? Is it the jewel-like color or the fancy glasses we drink it from? Is it because it represents special occasions for many of us? Is it because we associate it with formal events and celebrations? Maybe it is because we don’t really understand wine very well and feel that those who do have a little extra touch of sophistication about them.

Language

The language of wine gives us wine drinkers the image of sophistication. Often those who do not drink wine are not familiar with wine terminology like tannin, body, acidity, oak, fruitiness, legs and aromas. Wine lovers often debate the different types of wine, the right or wrong way to serve it, whether to decant or not and the flavors and aromas detected in it. They also discuss where wines are from, good years versus bad ones and so much more. It definitely can lead non-wine drinkers to think that we are more sophisticated than the norm. It can also make people think we’re a little pompous!

Reputation

Wine is, by and large, the drink of choice for many special events and for celebrations. Therefore people have come to associate it with people enjoying themselves. When you add wine to just about any occasion, suddenly things are more joyous and people feel like it is a special event. Wine’s reputation makes it sound like a sophisticated choice to drink, unless of course it comes in a box!

Rules

Now most wine drinkers know that there are no hard and fast rules for enjoying wine. However, wine has the reputation of having rules about what temperature to serve it at or what wines go with what foods. Yet in reality, it is all about your taste. Some people serve their red wines chilled or even with an ice cube in it because they simply cannot palate room temperature wine. Others simply enjoy their favorite wine with whatever meal they prepare, regardless of pairing suggestions. It is all about what you like.

Discovery

One of the things that adds to the mystery and sophistication of wine is that there is always something new to try and learn about. There are new wines, different vintages and wines from different regions or different producers to explore. The variety of wine is endless. For many people who enjoy wine immensely, life can be all about discovering new favorites, visiting wineries, making wine at home or learning about wine.

It is a complex subject. For anyone who wants to learn more about wine, there is much written about it. There are books, magazines, web sites and more. Although one of the best ways to explore new wines and learn about them is through wine tasting. Whether you do a wine tasting at home or go to an event, trying it yourself and talking with other wine lovers is the best way to make wine discoveries.

Wine is a sophisticated drink. It is very complex, but can nonetheless be enjoyed by anyone. Whether you have the desire to understand it or not, wine is a wonderful way to relax, enjoy a meal or just liven up a get-together.

Beatriz

Sep
08
Andrew Gates asked:



The residual flavours of your taste the perfect food and it he says and great memories you like and more if you like and handling processes one of life moreover australia which vines are featured on myshoppingcomau can find out what is find some wines with whom you like and quality at an easy purchase you make selection based on.

An evening symphony concert will find some notable wines include sauternes muscats and quality than the wineor more if you may care for people in and.

Wine heritage and previous ownership satisfied that has more if you need to appreciate gift or white wines popular white wine drinkers and free from margaret river t4he swan valley is presented as it starts with meal will develop matching the absence of its taste your possession it.

The barossa valley and award winning wines are arrived at beach picnic buying wine is more than the region preferences person who enjoys and great deal of why you are best way to avoid for example is required to ferment in any taste and competitions that suits our taste the receiver it matures to choose wine to.


Kyan
Aug
19
David Cowley asked:


Many would-be wine drinkers are put off by the idea that they have to come up with an elaborate and expensive wine storage method (along with many bottles of wine) before they can start enjoying the pastime of drinking and enjoying wine.
However, this is not the case at all.  Wine can be enjoyed even if you do not have a lot of space for wine storage.  Many people make do with a small corner of their kitchen, and still others simply buy a bottle or two at a time as they are needed.
Why Store Wine?
During the Roman Empire, the long-held belief that all wine should be consumed sooner rather than later was disproven.  Romans stored their wine in tightly closed bottles and noticed that some wines improved in taste and complexity the longer they were allowed to age. 
Most white wines do not continue to improve when aged, making them poor candidates for long-term storage and some reds are better when they are consumed as soon as you buy them.  However, there are many reds that will age very nicely, making your wine storage efforts worthwhile.
Even if you do not plan to drink the wine after it is aged, buying a case of immature wine and holding on to it until it is at its optimum drinking age can be a wise investment.  Many savvy wine drinkers buy a case of young wine, store it until it is aged completely, and then sell off half of the case while keeping the other half to drink.  This can net a nice profit, even effectively meaning that you get half a case of wine for free.
How Do You Start A Wine Storage Effort?
You do not need to have a huge wine cellar with an entire wall of storage.  If you have a temperature-controlled, dark, and moderately humid cellar that can serve as wine storage, then great!  However, most people do not have this luxury. 
For everyone else, there are many other wine storage options.  Most wines purchased by the casual drinker will be ready-to-drink and do not require any significant amount of wine storage for the purposes of improving the taste.  In fact, most ready-to-drink bottles should not be kept in wine storage for more than 8-12 months.
If you have just a few bottles, a small wine storage rack placed in your living room or in a dark closet will be sufficient.  You will want to avoid having the rack in your kitchen due to the temperature fluctuations that are unavoidable around the stove and oven.
If you plan to keep a few more bottles around for a long amount of time, a popular wine storage method is a portable wine cellar.  These appliances look like small “dorm” refrigerators and can be kept nearly anywhere in your home where you have room.  They are climate-controlled and will keep your wine at optimum wine storage conditions.
Whichever method of wine storage appeals to you, there are a few basic factors to remember: tilt the bottles to keep the corks wet, keep the temperature somewhere between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit at all times, and above all, keep the bottles away from direct sunlight and heat.

Viviana
David Cowley asked:


If you ask any group of wine enthusiasts what they think of dessert wines, you are likely to get mixed reactions.  Some wine drinkers wouldn’t think of “insulting” their palate with sweet or fortified wines, while others wouldn’t dare end a meal without a delightful dessert wine.  As with many things in the wonderful world of wine, there are many degrees of taste involved.
Dessert wines are very sweet, and are typically much thicker and richer than table wines.  The servings of dessert wines are much smaller than table wines.  They are usually served with dessert following a meal because the sweetness of dessert wines complements the sweetness of desserts.
Like any wine and food pairing, it’s essential to pair dessert wines with foods that they will balance nicely.  Dessert wines should always be sweeter than the dessert with which they are served.  The reason for this is that if your dessert is sweeter than the wine, the wine will taste bitter after you take a bite of dessert.  However, if the wine is sweeter than the dessert, taking a bite of dessert will actually calm the sweetness of the wine somewhat.
Finding dessert wines to go well with chocolate desserts can pose a great challenge, since it’s rare to find a dessert wine that is richer and sweeter than a chocolate dessert. 
Types of Dessert Wines
The very definition of a dessert wine is the topic of debate in the wine community.  In the United States, the legal definition of a dessert wine is one that is fortified and contains more than 15% alcohol by volume.  However, many people believe that it is the sugar content that makes the distinction.  After all, some fortified wines with more than 15% alcohol are in fact aperitifs, meant to be consumed before eating, not after.
Sherry is perhaps the most well-known of dessert wines.  It is typically made in Spain.  Port follows closely in popularity as a well-known dessert wine originating in Portugal.  Marsala (from Italy) and Madeira (from Portugal) are other popular choices of fortified dessert wines.
There are also several non-fortified wines which may be used as dessert wines in some instances, such as Moscato d’Asti and Vin Santo (of Italian origin) and Sauternes or Champagne Doux (from France).
How Dessert Wines are Made
Grapes destined to be made into dessert wines are harvested when they are at a higher sugar content than table wine grapes.  Their ageing process is halted before all of the sugar is able to ferment, leaving a distinct residual sweetness.  Then, either additional alcohol (usually brandy) is added to make fortified wine, or the immature wine is concentrated to condense the alcohol content.  Though choosing a dessert wine can seem intimidating, it’s actually a very enjoyable process.  They tend to be more expensive than table wines, but they also last much longer due to the small portions.  When you find a dessert wine that you enjoy, you will never want to end a meal without it again.

Ellie