I’m a Proud Wine (Glass) Snob

Date:

And I’m not ashamed of it.

Although The Budget™ has been less than cooperative than in previous years and has left my dreams of an extensive set of Château Baccarat wine glasses in the dust, that doesn’t mean that I still can’t apply the proper amount of snootery to my choices.

Photo 214726709 / Wine © Horacio Selva | Dreamstime.com

Actually, my choice of wine glasses is pretty simple. Preferably tall, no overhanging lip, nice shape, and clear crystal. Black is okay if I’m having a blind-tasting challenge.

And they must have stems. I’m not a fan of the stemless. Why?

Because stems are a tool. They help to keep your precious wine suspended in midair, away from the affliction of warm, albeit sincere, hands. That is if the glass is being held correctly.

By the stem, of course. No use in jelly-fingering the bowl amirite?

Photo by Scott Warman on Unsplash

Naturally, the “wine glass” as we know it today took a while to evolve. People drank wine from cups – usually wood or clay. Years of experimentation, along with the development of better wines, gradually led us to the wine glass of today. And then Riedel® found a way to create a glass for every possible iteration of wine variety imaginable. And then doing varying iterations of each glass!

The number is dizzying.

But even Riedel® couldn’t resist the latest. Or more accurately, going back in time to the humble yet somewhat revolting wine drink genesis. The stemless glass. (insert shudder year)

So What’s So Bad?

See my comment above about jelly-fingering the bowl.

Photo 87424248 / Wine © Robyn Mackenzie | Dreamstime.comOne of the reasons that the wine glass was developed was to keep the bowl clean and to be able to enjoy the sight and smell of the wine. The two things I dislike most about stemless wine glasses are the fact that you must handle the bowl. Which not only can blur the view of the wine, but also change the temperature. For reds, it may not be a problem. But for whites and sparkling, it can be an annoyance.

Another issue is lotion. Unless the lotion you use is unscented, chances are that the fragrance may interfere with the bouquet of the wine. Not good, especially when you’re really trying to savor a fine wine.

Photo 145012596 / Wine © Roman Rybaleov | Dreamstime.com

So. You Don’t Have Stemless?

Recycled Glass
100% Recycled

That’s a yes and no answer. I have a set of 100% Recycled Authentic Glass wine tumblers. They’re made of recycled glass and has a decidedly green color to them. I personally use them as water holders for my watercolor painting. And sometimes wine.

But…

For the daily drinker wines (i.e., cheap) they work just fine. And it’s not a one-off, either.

One of my absolute favorite restaurants Industrial Eats, is located in Buellton, California (look for the cow). The menu is extensive, ever-changing, and delicious. They have several wines on the menu, and they are served in recycled glass tumblers. The first time I received a glass of wine from them, I kind of stared at it because I’d ordered PINOT. What?!? PINOT in a tumbler? It’s like crying in baseball! You don’t DO that!

It ruffled my feathers at first, but by the end of my delicious meal, it didn’t matter. I wasn’t at a tasting or a fancy dinner, so it didn’t make any difference. Industrial Eats serves its food family style, with long tables and high chairs. I met a couple of people before heading to Alma Rosa Winery next door.  Oh! For the OG folks – Alma Rosa is the winery started by Richard Sanford after he sold Sanford to Terlato and couldn’t use his own name. Long story.

Whatcha Got?

Naturally, between buying them and getting them at various wine events, I have more Riedel® glasses than anything. I have several quite nice unbranded glasses. The name of the brand might have been on the boxes, but I don’t keep boxes.

For the OG folks – Alma Rosa is the winery started by Richard Sanford after he sold Sanford to Terlato and couldn’t use his own name. Long story.

I have Spiegelau, Luigi Bormioli, Ravenscroft (black and INAO tasting size), RONA, Schott-Zwiesel, and one survivor of the short-lived Oleg Cassini wine glass era. They were long-stemmed and very beautiful, but too delicate. I also had a set of two Waterford wine glasses. Unfortunately, the way they were made at the time meant I torqued the stem right off of the bowl. Very expensive lesson learned. Ugh.

I have several polycarbonate plastic glasses that look ridiculously authentic. Those are my picnic and poolside glasses. Stemmed, of course!

I hope to share more about my wine glass snob obsession in the future. It’s fun and completely explains why I swirl my orange juice in its goblet.

 

 

Vegas Wineaux
Vegas Wineauxhttp://vegaswineaux.com
Life now, especially after leaving the day job, is even crazier! I hope that you continue to follow and enjoy the wine and Vegas news!

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