It’s Not the Wine – 
It’s the Glass, Stupid  

It seems that all areas of privileged recreational interest go through a similar economic pattern. As the category matures, the cost of staying up with the current trends escalates wildly.

Years ago, the average tennis players had one $25 wooden racket, a couple of outfits which were washed out after every weekend, shoes that were thrown away when the sock showed through and if they were lucky, one warm-up outfit. Today $200+ rackets are the norm and multiples of everythng are carried in bags large enough to hide a human body while creating a hernia. The clothes pole of the average tennis player now sags under the weight of dozens of outfits, many in discard because of fashion color changes.

A golfer without a $300 Callaway driver may be ostracized from his club or group. Skiers spend thousands on looking good on the slopes even when they are standing still. In many cases the actual skis and boots make up a small portion of the ski investment.

The same thing is now taking place in the ascending avocation of wine..  Now that we have all rationalized out the cost of cult wines such as Screaming Eagle and The Bryant Family along with the obvious Grand Crus of France we seek new ways to spend money on wine and its accoutrements. After elaborate wine cellars and fixed bottle openers that would be banned by OSHA, wine aficionados seek new worlds to conquer.

One wonders what took so long to figure out that wine glasses would become the new fashion frontier.  The major name in the wine glass industry has conducted research that proves the need for 36 different shapes to get the maximum amount of pleasure from each sip of a different grape. We now are being convinced that, in fact, the glass may be as important as what is in it. “It’s not the wine that’s bad. It’s that lousy glass”

If you go for a complete service of eight and buy the entire hand blown top of the line from that researcher, you will have $14,400 worth of breakables in your possession and face a house remodel to store all your wine  stuff.

Do not despair. The fact is that there is only one very clear category of crucial shape. Champagne should only be served in the now classic flute, never in those old time flat compote glasses. The shape enables you to observe with pleasure the tiny bubbles floating to the top. The narrow shape keeps the bubbles going longer and the elegance of the flute creates a true Champagne atmosphere.  

 
However three other shapes do have recognizable value. Bordeaux- Cabernets and Burgundy- Pinot Noirs do seem to provide more pleasure when quaffed in the oversized thin-walled special shapes shown below.  They are designed to provide greater  wine surface for aerating or inward curves to retain aroma. Ideally the wall should be as thin as possible to have little between the lips, the  tongue and the wine. That is what raises the cost. Further the variant shapes direct the wine to the right part of the tongue.  These glasses should never be filled beyond the 1/3 mark.  Less complex whites such as Chardonnay seem out of order when served in the above large glasses. A sort of multi purpose shaped glass as shown below is fine for most dry white wines.


The Four Popular Wine Glass Shapes:  
Bordeaux-Cabernet …..Burgundy-Pinot Noir….. White Burgund-Chardonnay ….Champagne Flute

You can buy acceptable glasses for as low as $1 per glass.  You can buy an all purpose glass that works for all wines. If you spend some time shopping and searching, you can find acceptable glasses in the shapes suggested for $5.  But if you are somewhat serious about your wine collection, it makes sense to invest a little more than the cost of two bottles of premium wine in  lifetime possessions that might become heirlooms..

The serious step is to the Austrian glasses of Speigelau and Reidel. Speigelau is the choice of many restaurants because it is made of flash tempered glass that is break resistant  and is under $10 per glass. It is machine blown, and has acceptable if not graceful shapes

Far and away, however, the most popular, prestigious  and charismatic choice today is the “Vinum” series from Reidel. The glasses list for about $15 to $18 per glass depending upon the shape. They are still machine blown but of sparkling lead crystal. Discounts are available at better local wine stores.

The ultimate purchase is the earlier alluded to credit card limit breaker, Sommelier Series by Reidel. They are fragile, hand blown and beautiful but they are about $50 a glass. Their price and fragility may be dangerous to a relationship if a loved one happens to break a glass while cleaning up after that wine tasting.  

The choices are yours.