10 Aug Which wine glass should I use?
There are hundreds of different wine glasses, which come in all kinds of shapes and sizes – so, we don’t blame you for feeling a little overwhelmed at times! Do you even need that many options to get the best out of your bottle? Which wine glass should you buy first? Well, we’ve had a chat to Meg Brodtmann, MW, and while she does think specific glasses for varietals can be worthwhile, there’s really only 3 staples you need in your cupboard.
1. Sparkling Wine Flute
A sparkling wine glass is taller, narrower, and usually tighter at the top of the glass. This helps keep the delicate aromas and flavours inside the glass, as well as ensuring the bubbles hold.
2. Smaller white wine glass
You don’t want as much oxygen in contact with white as red wine, so the bowl is smaller and slightly tighter at the top. This helps preserve the wines floral aromas, as well as maintaining a cooler temperature.
3. Larger red wine glass
It’s important that red wine is poured into a bigger glass with a more open top, this allows for the wine to open up and the aromas to come out. It will make the wine taste smoother and the tannins softer.
For those of you who have stemless glasses – yes, they’re perfect for picnics, BBQs, or even just a clumsy guest! Keep in mind that the stem is there to help the wine maintain its temperature. So, for wine that’s meant to be chilled they aren’t the best idea, as holding a glass by the bowl warms up the wine.
What about fancy wine gadgets and decanters? Do I need those?
Meg discusses various wine gadgets in this episode of the Wine with Meg + Mel podcast. She lets you know which ones you really need, and which ones are just a gimmick. However, Meg makes it clear that having a decanter is a useful thing. The key benefit of using a decanter is when your wine is ready to drink, it speeds up the process of letting the oxygen make contact with the wine. This allows the wine to open up, the structure to soften out, and for the fruit to come to life.
As to whether a $15 decanter from Kmart does the same job as a fancy one? You’ll have to tune in!