Good Stemware
Many a slip...twixt cup and lip. Mike Froud contemplates good stemware.
Come on now! If you still have any of those flat, shallow Champagne coupes (supposedly modelled on the shape of the breast of Marie Antoinette) or those small, almost spherical Paris Goblets with thick rims, get rid of them! They’re a step up from plastic, polystyrene, and paper cups but only just and do little to enhance the enjoyment of wine, resulting in sparklers losing their bubble too quickly in the case of the coupes and any wine tasting more ordinary if served in those goblets. Preferably, you also shouldn’t drink wine out of glasses that are opaque or coloured, misted or sand-blasted – the same applies to ornately patterned glasses, even if they are expensive collector’s pieces imported from the other side of the world.
Essentially, what you want to avoid is anything that can distract or detract from the qualities of a wine, visually or otherwise. Good stemware should have thin glass bowls and thin, refined rims (more squaredoff than rounded – “rimless” some would say). They should be more or less tulip in shape, so that the glass tapers inwards towards the top, although, for most red and white wines, the opening or mouth of the glass shouldn’t be too small – preferably large enough to nose the wine easily.
There are some pretty smart and sexy stemless wine glasses on the market that are quite popular with the young and trendy – some are even of the crystal variety and bear a top trademark. Ideally, however, a good wine glass should have a stem and one that’s long enough to hold without touching the bowl – you don’t want unsightly finger marks on the window to your wine, and clutching the glass in your hand will warm the wine above the appropriate drinking temperature.
Red wine glasses are traditionally larger than those for white wine, though both should be generous in what they hold. Fish-bowl size can seem ridiculous, but capacities amounting to just a few mouthfuls are way too small.
Dessert wine glasses and those intended for port and sherry are understandably smaller, simply because these sweet wines and higher-alcohol numbers are typically served and drunk in smaller quantities than drier wines.
Tall, narrow glasses are called for when it comes to sparkling wine, as well as a smaller mouth – the mousse needs to be contained, and you want to appreciate the beads as those tiny bubbles stream up from the bottom. A narrow tulip shape or flute is what’s called for…
Basically, the more the glass narrows towards the rim, the more the aromas are concentrated towards the nose. And the wider the base of a red or white wine glass (where the glass is widest is the level to which the wine should generally be poured to), the more the wine will interface with the air. Decanters take this controlled oxidation to another level, but that’s another story.
Riedel of Austria (previously of Bohemia in what was then Czechoslovakia) and Spiegelau of Bavaria (read Germany) are two of the biggest names in wine glasses internationally, but there are others such as Schott Zwiesel (German), Rosenthal (German) and Mikasa (French) that many wine aficionados are also partial to. Actually, there are numerous glasses sold under various brands across the price spectrum that comply with the basic requirements in terms of acceptable quality and design – including good value-for-money Bohemian Crystal (Czech) and RCR Crystal, imported from Italy until the rand’s nosedive recently and still available at winesense stores in Gauteng and the Western Cape at the time of going to print. After a point, it comes down to perception, personal preference, and how statusconscious you are.
The leading stemware producers offer a number of ranges, and none more so than Riedel glassware, whose form is the result of much research into the relationship between the precise shape of a glass and the flavour profile of particular varieties and styles of winemaking, the price ranging according to hand-blown versus machinemade, size, the degree of exclusivity, etc. In fact, such is the number of options that the choice can be mindboggling, when just three or four types of wine glasses (for red, white, sparkling and dessert) will usually suffice for most intents and purposes.
And how much should one expect to pay for a good wine glass these days? Under R30 is still possible for bargain hunters; up to R100 for the better stuff ; up to R200 and beyond for the best; R500-plus for the ultimate...
GLASS HOUSE-RULES
An oily film on the surface of a wine is usually a sure sign that that the glass or decanter hasn’t been properly rinsed or dried. Less obvious problems could prompt you to blame the wine when in truth they might also be the fault of whoever’s in charge of the stemware.
Wine glasses must be absolutely clean before they’re used. After proper washing, thorough rinsing with fresh, soap-free water is essential, and they need to be dried with a clean, odourless cloth, a cloth that hasn’t been used to dry the crockery or cutlery beforehand. Alternatively (and preferably, according to some), the glasses can be air-dried and any watermarks removed thereafter by polishing with an odourless lint-free cloth to enhance the lustre and sparkle.
And don’t store them upside down, regardless of the type of surface. Nor should your glasses be stacked in a cupboard that smells of anything. Whiff s of varnish or wood sealer are a definite no-no, and certain foodstuff s impart smells too.
FIRST PORTS OF CALL
Readers can contact the following suppliers of fine
stemware regarding catalogues and pricelists -
where they don't sell direct, they'll give you the
location and contact details of the retailer
nearest to you:
Arcorac c/o Banks Dealers: Tel 021 461 3190
Fax 021 461 4254 Email banks@banks-shop.
co.za Web www.banks-shop.co.za
Bohemian Crystal c/o Crystal Direct: Tel/Fax
021 887 2173 or 079 877 0488 Email
info@crystaldirect.co.za
Mikasa c/o Fanel Glassware: Tel 011 794 1680
Email info@fanel.co.za Web www.mikasa.co.za
Peter Steger c/o Liquidity: Tel 021 905 9066
Fax 021 905 9063 Email reception@liq.co.za
Web www.liq.co.za/glassware01.asp
Riedel c/o Reciprocal Wine Trading: Tel/Fax
011 482 9178/9168 Email riedel@reciprocal.co.za
Web www.reciprocal.co.za
Schott Zwiesel Speciality Wine Ranges:
Tel 011 839 4420 or 083 272 8565
Spiegelau c/o Distinctive Brands: Tel 021 855 4750
or 086 122 2335 Email info@dbrands.co.za
OTHER CRYSTAL SUPPLIERS:
Lullingstone Glass: Tel 021 593 6465 Email
sales@lullglass.co.za Web www.lullglass.co.za
Vitria Glassware: Tel 021 593 8727
Fax 021 593 8733 Email info@vitria.co.za
Web www.vitria.co.za
THEY TOLD YOU SO
“Clear, undecorated and elegant in shape, light in weight and with a lengthy stem. Colourless, not thick and heavy. Lead crystal enhances the brilliance of the wine… The glass plays a big role in communicating aroma and taste and, most importantly, enjoyment.” – Ginette de Fleuriot CWM, winesense.
“Always look at the lip first: it needs to be fine and clear-cut... Usually the bigger the better, offering you a better bouquet… As with most things, the more expensive the better, [but when recently] we punted Crystal Direct at R16-odd a glass it was a real bargain.” – Roland Peens, wine cellar, Cape Town.
“It can become confusing for Joe Public, and to that end [when it comes to Riedel] I tend to recommend the Vinum Bordeaux glass for red and the [smaller] Vinum Chianti/ Riesling/Zinfandel glass for white. Both show the wines beautifully.” – Carrie Adams, Norman Goodfellows, Johannesburg.
“We use three kinds: mainly the Riedel Restaurant range, Spiegelau for Cognac and Mikasa for Champagne. Glasses that never lose their sparkle… They can survive dishwashing, but you need a good quality glass-washing machine. ” – Thato Goimane, sommelier at Auberge Michel restaurant, Johannesburg.
“We recommend Rosenthal and Spiegelau, imported from Germany, and serve wine to our guests in Rosenthal glasses at Bosman’s restaurant.” – Mia Martensson, cellarmaster at the Grande Roche Hotel, Paarl.
“Riedel is the epitome of wine appreciation enhancement. However there are great alternatives such as Schott Zwiesel and Arcoroc. For home use, keep it simple. [For most wines] go for a standard large glass, a Bordeaux/Cabernet shape.” – Miguel Chan, sommelier at the Cellars-Hohenort Hotel, Cape Town. “The effect of these [Riedel] glasses on fine wine is profound. I cannot emphasise enough what a diff erence they make.” – Robert M Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate, USA.
