When people think of fine stemware, they’re generally thinking of red wine, white wine and champagne. If you’re a fan of white wine, there’s probably little that we can offer here that you hasn’t been written elsewhere on the Internet or in a book. Further, we’re firm believers that you really don’t have to study or understand the wine you’re drinking to enjoy it. When Claus Riedel of Riedel Stemware discovered that the proper glass had a significant impact on red and white wine, it absolutely added another perspective for wine enthusiasts to consider when tasting wine.
White wine glasses vary enormously in size and shape, from the thin Champagne flute to the wide and shallow glasses used to drink Chardonnay. Different shaped glasses are used to accentuate the unique characteristics of different styles of wine. The proper white wine glass has a number of attributes:
White wine glasses vary enormously in size and shape, from the thin Champagne flute to the wide and shallow glasses used to drink Chardonnay. Different shaped glasses are used to accentuate the unique characteristics of different styles of wine. The proper white wine glass has a number of attributes:
- A thin or shallow bowl – Wide mouthed white wine glasses function similarly to red wine glasses and promote rapid oxidization which alters the flavor of the wine. For lighter, fresher styles of white wine, wider bowls are less desirable as the increased oxidation may allow the bouquet to essentially leave the glass before you can pick up the less accessible notes of the wine. These white wines perform best with a smaller mouthed glass, which reduces surface area and in turn, the rate of oxidization.
- A stem – While stemless glasses are a necessity in, some places (e.g. large cities where space is at a premium), the warming effect of the hand on the wine is absolutely unavoidable. The temperature of wine affects the scent and consequently, the taste. You will find that white wines particularly suffer when held in the hand. Notwithstanding that fact, if you like stemless better, you should go for it. Life is too short to let someone else dictate the way that you should drink the glass of wine that’s in YOUR hand.
- A crystal clear bowl – Imperfections and tinting make it impossible to look at the wine that you’re drinking. You honestly should care about the appearance of the wine in your glass because it’s a simple respect issue. The winemaker or vintner and the vineyard staff put years of their life into nursing along the grapes, soil and wine until they developed the product that’s in your hands. Life is too short to pass up on opportunities to appreciate the diligent efforts of people who work hard to produce something with love and a deep respect for a millennia old tradition.
- Socially responsible manufacturing – We know better. We now understand that there are other materials that produce comparable results to lead in the composition of wine glasses without the environmental impact or the arguable health effects (although none of them produce the SOUND that lead makes when you clink glasses during a toast). The effects of lead in wine glasses have probably been blown WAY out of proportion but we know that more lead in landfills (because ultimately, glasses DO break) is the kind of thing that socially responsible consumers and retailers have to consider.
The range of scents, flavors and notes in white wine generally make stemware suggestions a little harder. In our opinion, “white wine glasses” don’t work particularly well with chardonnays, particularly oaked chardonnays. Those wines need a little more oxidation so they tend to do better with smaller “red” wine glasses. As always, you should allow YOUR palate be your guide.
We haven’t studied the lead health issue very closely but just to be safe, we try to avoid selling lead crystal whenever possible. Thankfully, there are more lead free choices on the market now than ever before. As more options are available, we will adjust our inventory accordingly. The best way to find the white wine glass is to experiment. If you need tips or suggestions for a bottle that you’re considering, tweet us or email us and we’ll give you a best bet. At the end of the day, however, only you will know what you like.
As always, if you need any help, please contact us via the contact link above or you can just message us via twitter (@stemwarestore).