Recently, we attended a class hosted by Riedel to demonstrate what a difference a wine glass could make to your wine experience. Our host, Ravi Gidumal of Town House, promised nothing less than a paradigm shift. In our class, it was rather astounding to find how a Brenacott Estate sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, which tasted sweet with crisp notes of ripe apples when served in a white wine glass, tasted flat, one-dimensional and very acidic when tasted in what Gidumal called a “joker” glass, a poor- quality wine glass. In fact, the people behind Riedel argue, in an ideal world where money was no object, a glass for each grape variety would be perfect. Naturally, this option is available by the glassware makers in the form of its sommelier series, a hand-cur series of glasses developed by Riedel in 1970 – so is there some truth to this?The wine glass

Wine glasses made of crystal were traditionally weighty and the highly-prized ones had barrels cut in various patterns as well as thick stems with intricate designs on the stems. The variations of wine glassware designs include the use of bubble or colour threads to customise them. These days Riedel, the Austrian crystal glassware maker, currently led by George Riedel, largely dominates the market – Robert Parker calls the glassware “the finest glasses for both technical and hedonistic purposes”. The glasses are made with an option of machine-cut glass or hand-cut glass and unlike glassware used in the past, is a lot more balanced and light on the hand thanks to its thin-walled appearance. Devoid of any cutting on the barrel or the stem, there is no retraction of light in, so wine-drinkers to view the colour of the wine more clearly through the glass.

Why buy wine from the UK? We take a look at the history and viniculture of the UK.

Wine glass care

Nothing destroys a wine like a dirty wine glass, make sure to rinse the glass with mineral water or unchlorinated water once before using it. A lot of times, a glass not well-rinsed free of soap can make a wine taste bitter. The glasses should be sparkling, clean and odourless. To clean the glass, simply grip onto the glass and use a cloth to gently polish. One common mistake we see all the time is someone holding the barrel and end of the glass and twisting it to clean, this puts a lot of tension on the stem and causes it to break.

The perfect glass

While Baccarat claims that three wine glass, one for red, one for white and one for champagne is all you need, launching a universal set of wine glasses designed by master sommelier Bruno Quenioux to prove its point, the people from Reidel think it is absolutely absurd. That said, as most wine drinkers can’t afford Reidel’s Sommelier Series of glasses, it is best to enjoy your wine from a selection of quality wine glasses. In the latest edition of the Parker Wine Buyer’s Guide, Robert Parker recommends the Riedel Vinum glasses, in particular, he recommends the Bordeaux Vinum not only for bordeaux wines but also for Rhone wines and white burgundies. Our wine editor James Suckling on the other hand, has one glass he uses religiously. “As a wine taster, I use one glass. I have used the same glass for more than 20 years. It's the original Riedel Sommelier Chardonnay glass designed in 1958. I have lots of different wine glasses but I find it annoying after all these years matching glasses with wines”.

You’ll find most wine drinkers sip their liquid ambrosia from a separate glass for white and a different glass for red. Robert Mann, estate director and senior winemaker of Cape Mentelle stresses that, when he drinks his wines, especially when wine tasting, the most important thing is to make sure the wine glasses are consistent for all whites and reds, simply because that way it will make for a fair comparison.

Champagne, however, is a different story. Most people drink their champagne out of champagne flutes as the trumpet-shaped flutes are designed for little aeration, retaining the liquid’s carbonation. However, Dominque Demarville, the cellarmaster from Veuve Clicquot suggests that champagnes, especially a grand dame and older vintages, are better appreciated out of a white wine glass. In fact, at a recent luncheon he hosted at Suzuike in Hong Kong, he served two prestigious cuvées from the champagne house, the Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2004 and the (even rarer) Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rosé 2004, out of a tulip-shaped white wine glasses to maximise the enjoyment.

We explore how ageing your wine will build character here.

The purpose of the wine glass

The purpose of the wine glass is ultimately to enhance the wine-drinking experience. A wines aroma, namely its character and integrity, will change how a wine will taste, thus, a good glass can control how the wine falls on your tongue. Apart from that, a good wine glass will allow for appropriate aeration, facilitate your understanding of the wine and let the wine oxygenate. But you’ll find most people have no set rules, in fact Suckling will be collaborating with the house of Lalique to bring about a different perspective: “My glass is a simple design with beautiful glass work of Lalique. It brings beauty back to wine drinking instead of so many of the functional, austere designs. A wine glass should be functional yet beautiful at the same time to enhance a wine drinking moment”.