THE RIGHT GLASS
At restaurants, wine is often served in different glasses in accordance with the particular variety you have selected. At home, however, we often tend to just reach for the nearest glass and pour. So is it a case of one glass fits all, lack of space or just not knowing the difference? We asked Matt Dunne, one of Australia’s top sommeliers, everything you need to know about glassware, so you can create your own high-end drinking experience at home!
What are the rules on decanting?
Decanting is a great way to help enhance a wine’s true personality and should not just be used for red or aged wine. Decanting can bring a white wine or rosé to the correct temperature faster if it is too cold, and can be used with sparkling wine to soften the bubbles and present a more textured style. The best rule is make sure you experiment at home with all wine styles. Decanting can assist in ensuring that sediment from red wine is removed. Sediment can build up with older red wines over time and can taste very bitter, ruining the flavour of a great wine.
There are so many different shaped glasses for wines. Can you break it down?
Wine glasses are very personal but these key things are important: simplicity, look, feel and durability. The difference between a good wine experience and a great one comes down to the glass. [Australian glassware brand] Plumm has been able to successfully produce glasses that focus on a simple model of delivering the best experience possible by focusing on wines by style. You don’t need a thousand different glasses!
Does wine taste different in a stemless glass?
Most are the same shape as glasses with stems so they deliver the same sensory experience, depending on the type of wine and shape used. Stemless glasses are a great option for home as they store away easily and are less likely to break. They’re also very versatile and easy to clean.
Does swirling change the taste of wine? What varieties benefit most from this?
Swirling enhances aroma and can help ‘open’ the wine up so you can smell and taste more nuances. All varieties benefit from swirling, and this includes sparkling. Swirling is a great way to draw you into a wine and get you hooked, even before you have tasted!
Is it as simple as one shape for red and one shape for white? Yes, it can be that simple. Plumm suggests a couple of different shapes that benefit certain styles. For example, the No. 3 glass is great for richer white wines such as chardonnay and marsanne, but will also work for bright, crunchy reds like pinot noir and gamay. The No. 2 glass is suggested for aromatic whites such as pinot grigio and also sparkling wine, making it very versatile. These glasses have been road-tested by some of Australia’s leading wine experts.
Why are some red wine glasses really wide in the bowl while others are not?
Red glasses that have a wide bowl are great for lighter red wine styles as the wide hip means it actually lends itself to act as a decanter in the glass. It also allows you to swirl the wine a bit harder, releasing those beautiful aromas. In other glasses, tannins (that drying sensation you get from reds) can be softened by the shape of the glass.
Glass or crystal?
The primary difference is that crystal glass contains anywhere from two to 30 per cent minerals (lead or lead-free). The key feature of crystal wine glasses is that the minerals strengthen the material, making it possible to produce durable but thin wine glasses. Plumm glasses are lead-free and made from European crystal so they not only look and feel great, but can handle a busy dishwasher well. They’re also scratch resistant and cool down quickly.
Matt Dunne, sommelier, wine ambassador, wine judge.