Wine Glasses, How Do They Affect Wine?

Wine Glasses, How Do They Affect Wine? – Episode #111

October 19, 2006

Wines tasted in this episode:

Spreadsheet courtesy of Chris Stanisci
2003 Walter Hansel Pinot Noir North Slope
Caymus 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon SOLD OUT

Today Gary tackles a very important topic that many people discuss and debate at a fever pitch in the wine industry. Gary grabs two great wines and attacks this subjuct head first, please join in the discussion and let us know what you think. Also this is tell your friends thursday. Pass the WLTV word around!

229 Responses

October 19, 2006

TimF
In.
October 19, 2006

Craig G
#2?
October 19, 2006

Tony
3!
October 19, 2006

Rob B
Gary,
How many different type of wine glasses should the average person have at home?
I really enjoy the videos.

Thanks,
Rob B
October 19, 2006

Tony
Yeah, Gary, this is one epsiode I’ve really wanted to see! This is what WLTV should be all about!

I decant and “rebottle” wines all the time when going to a restaurant.
October 19, 2006

hinrgman
thanks
October 19, 2006

Tony
Do you think the differences are due to differeneces in the rates of evaporation and gassing out of volatile components and alcohol, or due to the difference in size and shape of the head space in the glass, or ???

I wouldn’t think that the taste would chance that much, so I’m really surprised.
October 19, 2006

Joe
Yes, I agree with Tony.
The focus has become too much about tasting and not enough about learning. This is a very strong episode, with a very good focus. Hope to see more like it.
October 19, 2006

Kahuna
I have done a similar test Yes the glass makes a difference- I have a few Sommelier glasses from reidel and I have the same glass in non Somm. series and even then there is a difference.

GO GARY people always think I am nuts or being a wine ahole when I say to use the right glass- Hence I don’t say it at all anymore. I find the Bordeaux or Burgendy to be the best standard for most reds
October 19, 2006

Susan
Gary-
Great episode!!!
Education is always the BEST choice!!!!!!!
October 19, 2006

Kahuna
God I suck at spelling!
October 19, 2006

Tony
QOD: Personally, I thinks you’re nuts. But I trust your palette, so I don’t know what to think. I know I’m not going to buy 8 sets of Riedel glasses.

QOD part 2: The Jets will never win a Super Bowl in your lifetime. But if they do, you will love them even more than before. Gary, your blood flows green, so I don’t think you’ll ever stop loving the Jets.
October 19, 2006

Eyeguy
We were out boating and had 8 people aboard. Unfortunately, we only had 6 Reidels (not sure which variety) and had to use 2 acrylic wine glasses. Really surprised by the difference!

Great episode – thanks!

Rich
October 19, 2006

Kahuna
QOD Part2- The only way that happens in football- Giants(2 SUPER BOWL VICTORIES) for me will be when the NFL starts showing commercials in between every play(coming soon) or it becomes two hand touch on the quaterback(almost there also). They should allow teams to spend what the want on back up quaterbacks so they are not part of the Salary cap. This way we can get back to watching the game I grew up playing and watching.
October 19, 2006

Kahuna
Next I would like to see an episode in which you break each glass and see which glass is the easiest to clean up. This would be why I do not use good wine glasses for dinner parties. I can handle breaking my own glass but when 2 or 3 go down during a party- then I have a problem.
October 19, 2006

mbeck
Another great episode Gary. Now, when I run out of the correct glasses when I have company, I might feel a little guilty….. as well as making sure I, personally, have the correct one. Guess it pays to be the hostess so you can get your glass early
October 19, 2006

C Shell
Gary,

Nice episode. Very practical!!

Uh…why are you dressed like The Riddler from Batman?
October 19, 2006

Brad Coelho
Loved the BYOB tip w/ the funnel, very clever! A tactic I’ve been using to salvage wine is dumping the reamining wine from an unfinished bottle into a half bottle to cut down on the air-wine ratio, keeping it away from oxygen (it usually lasts another day or so w/o getting those ‘nutty, tired’ characteristics)
Speaking of BYOB, the last restaurant I went into w/ a corkage fee in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, brought me to the wine glass issue. “The Queen’s Hideway” restaurant, solid food, lousy glassware…no stems, just straight up scotch-esque glasses. None of the hipsters seemed to care, but these are the biggest PBR fans in the world so that wasn’t a surprise. Anyways, the wine (a ‘01 Alion, from the producers of Vega Sicilio’s Unico) was awful. I had previously had it in Bordeaux stemwear and it was unreal, ridiculously sweet berries, silky and powerful. In the scotch glass, harsh/coarse tannins, bitter and not nearly enough fruit to cover the astringency.
I am in full agreement. Great show….by the way Gary, what’s up w/ the random lizard references?!
October 19, 2006

Bill T.
Great episode, Gary! Very educational.
October 19, 2006

K Spengler
Gary, really enjoyed this episode, very educational. Good thing my friends don’t notice the subtlties of the “wrong” (oops) glass, since it’s not even remotely possible I buy eight different shaped glasses for entertaining. They just assume whatever we’re serving is pretty darn good, thanks to my WLTV “wine guy”.
As for your QOD p.2: Maybe your one of those guys who only enjoys the chase/quest. Once conquered, you lose interest….nah, probably not.
Keep up the good work
October 19, 2006

zerokreap (kw)
mossman was awesome! this was a great episode…i thought their would be a difference…and i say that because i have had the same wine out of different glasses…and although it is a subtle difference, i have experienced it as well and know what you are talking about. i have had good wines out of bordeaux glasses, burgundy, and plastic cups…oddly enough i find that the plastic solo cup is the best for good wine…it is better than your cheaper, clear cups….why would i drink wine out of such a cup….well, because i go to a lot of parties where carrying around a wine glass would be both overkill, out of place, and in general just not a good idea. as far as glasses…i like the bordeaux glass most often. now i think i need the burgundy and others…
thanks
October 19, 2006

SeanM
Interesting:

Are you going to use the ‘correct’ glass for your tastings from now on? Does this affect the ratings of any of the wines you’ve tasted so far for WLTV?
October 19, 2006

wey
Great great great episode! Now my friends can stop calling me a fool because I want the right glass for my wine(s)

My favorite allround glass (also for whites!) is a combination of a bordeaux/burgundy type glass. It’s like a bordeaux glass, but slightly wider at the bottom.

You go Gary V.
October 19, 2006

Big Billy from Big D
Clearly a ringingly good episode!
Pun intended

As a matter of observation I donâ€™t think you needed every step up the Riedel line to make the point. Probably Chablis, Pinot, Bordeaux would have done it. Still very informative. For those who donâ€™t think those big balloons donâ€™t funnel fragrance – try a shot of brandy in one of those big boys, the alcohol will blow the back of your head out.(figuratively speaking)

The glass really is about the nose, and appearance, as Gary concluded.

Last year I bought a six pack of the Schott Zweisel Tritan glasses (Cabernet) with 24 oz capacity. The glasses are touted as nearly unbreakable, because they are not lead crystal (theyâ€™re titanium). We finally broke the stem on one when it got in a bind. We wash them in the dishwasher. They look like a more expensive glass, but donâ€™t have the high harmonic ring of lead crystal. Instead you get a more muted flat ring or bong (watch out dead-heads). In short we have loved them. You can find them at IWA in 6 packs for about $60. The only reason I even plugged them is WL doesnâ€™t seem to sell glasses on-line.

Chin chin
October 19, 2006

hinrgman
QOD 2

Gary I guess you run the risk of losing interest in the Jets if they don’t win a super bowl.

Luckily they already won one during my lifetime
October 19, 2006

Karen
hahahahaha! really good garyv.

i’ve been holding this in (and i’m usually too busy to justify taking the time to do this commenting thing but that was too amusing to resist) but with all the chatter previously about who’s cute, madison, gary’s brother, and of course with lizv sticking up for her man, i have to add my two bits because there have to be some of you yanks who’ve seen this fellow (maybe in the movie “just friends”?).

http://www.cornergas.com/whoswho/?bio=2

fred ewanuik is cute, for the same reason garyv is, because he’s funny and disarming ….(it’s a funny show too…, you know, like, for canada, eh?…)

700 eh? wow, that is amazing…
October 19, 2006

joe
Gary, great episode…I think I requested this in the first dozen episodes!

My first experience with glasses was 1999. We Invited my best buddy & wife to dinner who brought this Riedel Grand Cru Burgundy glasses with them because they knew we would serve wine out of Waterfold Leaded Crystal glasses that we got as a wedding present. He insisted we pour the same wine (it might have been a Heitz Cab) into both glasses and try them side by side. Wow, what a difference. The big thick Waterfords muted the taste and smell of the wine. The huge Riedels made that wine sing – if was like I was tasting wine for the first time. I not only became hooked on a good wine glass – - but the experience got me hooked on wine also and I became an enthusiast.

And it was obvious that you believe too…..(despite your last comment)…because when you open a very very special wine for tasting – you always to go the BIG GRAND-Daddy to drink it in.

ALso, I think the wine glass makes a bigger difference in the tasting experience if you consume it “normally” (as you would at dinner) rather than how you swish it about like you do for a critical review.

Joe.
October 19, 2006

Tony
I’d have to go back and watch again, but it did seem that you liked the pinot in the Burgundy glass best, and the cab in the Bordeaux glass best. Vindication for the designer at Riedel, I guess.

As someone else already asked, are you going to start tasting wines in the “right” glass from now on? Most of us probably don’t have a full set of Riedels, so I’m wondering how helpful that would be for us. Probably just make us jealous.
October 19, 2006

craig
Thanks for doing this episode Gary. Seems like you made it jsut for me since I emailed this very question today! My experience had been with a $2 glass from Ikea that had a similar shape to a Riedel Bordeaux glass that I have. It made a HUGE difference and sold me on why I wanted to have more than 1 glass for every use.!
October 19, 2006

Grasshopper
Sensei,

Great episode! Are you going to always use the correct glass when tasting going forward? And, If we do not want to have eight different glass types, which ones to you recommend? I have the Riedel Bordeaux, Burgundy and Chardonnay. Do you think this covers me well enough?

Glass story – we go to my in-laws often for Holidays. They have very small Waterford wine glasses. They are beautiful, but always bothered me when I brought nice wines with me, especially Reds. So…I started bringing my own glasses to their house and my Mother-in-law finally took the hint and bought some nice wine glasses, red and white.

Grasshopper
October 19, 2006

Jared
great episode Gary. very interesting, entertaining and educational. As for the QOD you will never stop loving the J E T S JETS JETS JETS. Besides bleeding green, since the season is only 16 games over 17 weeks there are not enough games for you to grow tired. It is not like any other sport where you can watch a game any day of the week and a loss does not mean that much. Are you going to this sundays game? Let me know, ill be there taigating and all…
October 19, 2006

Scott S.
Gary, Great show. I needed the validation that I was not crazy relative to glasses. My friends think I am a wine snob a give no merit to this notion of the “Glass effect”. I don’t talk about it much. Be it a mind game or not it really makes a difference to me. I agree the Burgundy and Bordeaux glasses are the 2 to own. In fact the Crystal vs Glass is the big Physics difference. The thin top edge of Crystal gives you the ” Feel” where the Glass has a awkward top line. For those of us who play Golf know this is why the pros play forged Blades, it’s in the feel as well.
October 19, 2006

Tony
Hey, where’s Brandon? Finally had to do some work for once in order to pay for all the wine he buys? Denyce finally crack down on him? Maybe his Internet connection is down and he’s going into serious withdrawl.
October 19, 2006

Karen
whoa….am i the only one who sees the grin he can barely contain at the end especially? am i the only one who hears the last resounding “not”?
hmm, well see, i was really really interested in this episode because hubby has filled our cupboards with various shapes and sizes of glasses and wants me to learn which to use. but now i’m not sure he won’t see it the same way most of you did….i understand the physics of the champagne glass, but c’mon! the differences in some of those is not physically going to make any reasonable difference at all….
alright i’m off to get a glass, with no particular name other than “wine glass” and grab myself a splash of red (’03 Hecula Monastrell).
October 19, 2006

Big Billy from Big D
Is 111 a prime number?
Answer: No. 111 is the product of two prime numbers: 3 x 37

What’s with the Lost Numbers in Ep 109?

Well, It’s 1 – 2- 3 What are we tasting for?
Don’t ask me I don’t give a Phin.
The next stop is Chateau Le Pin.

with apologies to Country Joe McDonald
October 19, 2006

Sam Zengotitabengoa
I agree… this is the best episode to date. Great knowledge. At home I use a montrachet styled glass for reds, and a bordeaux style glass for whites… this could be a big oops. G- do you have recommendations on an every day white and an every day red wine glass for those of us that don’t have space for 8 different types of glasses?
October 19, 2006

Marc Mc
Gary,

If the JETS ever win a Super Bowl you will love them more and want more Super Bowl wins. This, however, can bite you in the a@#. Going through the 70’s and 80’s was painful with the Packers, but a win against the Bears made you walk on water for a week. Move to the 90’s with the winning Packers, Brett, and the Super Bowls, you feel good all the time and grow to expect the winning ways. But now we have come full circle and I pray for a win against the Bears just to get that old feeling again.

Question: What will you open if the JETS win the Super Bowl??????????????
October 19, 2006

Roberto
very interesting and well made…but I am not 100% agree with you.
See Gary this two factor who are differenciating wines and flavors :
* Food you eat
* Glass you use
* The room you are in
But i am agree with you that sometimes you cannot tell the difference between the same wine in a different glass.
Ciao
October 19, 2006

Jason R.
Brandon – You O.K. Buddy? Get lost at the Pumpkin Patch with the fam??? Thats pretty awesome when none of us know each other, except from the blog and after 35 comments, people are looking for you!!!!

Glasses – I have 9 (used to have 12) Schott Zweisel bordeaux glasses. They are my great everyday glass I drink 95% of my wines out of. I have some HUGE very thin glasses that sing, but I find that I struggle getting the smells out of them as they are so big. Also, we have 12 very fancy Lenox titantium tipped $40 each type glasses that I think SUCK!!! They look great, but I think the last time we had a big dinner we used them for water and I pulled out the good ol’ $8 Schott Zweisel Bordeaux glasses for the wine.
October 19, 2006

Dominus
Ok Gary. Hereâ€™s a question I like to give to my wine geeks sitting around the table when the conversation begins to lull which, unfortunately, happens often than I care to admit.

If you were told that you could have any wine for your â€œlast supper,â€ what would it be? And the foodie side of me asks, with what entrÃ©e?

Dom
October 19, 2006

Albert and Remy
GV,
We thought we were going crazy buying all types of glasses, but the truth is that it does make a difference when you use the right glass. The taste of the wine barely changes, but the aromas coming out of the glass makes a big difference. You’ll be surprise when you drink out of the Riedel Vinum “Extreme” Bordeaux glass.
Thank you again for a great episode. You validated our obsession with glassware.
October 19, 2006

Susan
Gary-
I think you will always love the Jets NO matter what they do.
Thanks for the super episode!
I give this one a 100!!
I would like to see more educational style episodes in the future.
I am only a beginner who does not own any type of wine glasses soooooooooooooooo…..
I really don’t personally know about differences with the type of wine glass.
I am just happy that you are showing the differences. I used to think that it was just a gimick to sell more product!
Thanks for all of the great education.
Keep up the great work!!
October 19, 2006

GOL
Great episode, was really excited when I saw the topic and the ep delivered!

QOD – My wife and I went to a new BYOB place a couple months ago. Gorgeous night, and they had outdoor seating, so we chose to sit outside. Problem with sitting outside is that the BYOB rules apparently only apply inside. Outside it was illegal to drink wine. We pleaded, and they agreed to give us coffee cups for our wine (so nobody could tell it was wine). We had brought a good Pinot Noir, I don’t remember what it was, but we weren’t too concerned about the mug/glass issue. Anyway, we both thought it ruined the wine, and we weren’t pre-disposed to thinking that glass-type matters much, and maybe it doesn’t, but in our experience with this particular wine on this particular night, the ceramic cup, in our opinion, totally muted the nose and the flavor.
October 19, 2006

Brandon M
Wow…work indeed!!! Meetings today are killing me. Is it wrong for me to be in a HUGE meeting and think…I wonder how many posts are hapening RIGHT NOW?

Vinum? Cmon gary Sommelier Series! That’s where it’s at….JK

Great episode Gary….I love when you mix it up…PERFECT! Score on the show 98.

I always tell everybody that the glass makes a big difference, and again I get mistaken for a wine snob just for mentioning Reidel. Now if Denyce would stop breaking them I could get a full set

Forget what You like? There are definitely things that I question that you like, but that’s the fun of it all.

If you are a true fan of ANY sports team, you will never give up or lose interest. LA Rams to the St. Louis Rams and I’m still a HUGE fan. The only difficult time I EVER had being a fan was the day I found out that Piazza was traded to the Marlins….uh Mets. To me, the only bad fan, is a 49er / Giant fan!

I was hoping to get my Rocky Creek Zin today but it has no arrive yet! Maybe tomorra.

AGAIN…GREAT GREAT EPISODE…THIS IS WHAT I MEANT BY MIXING IT UP!

B
October 19, 2006

Brandon M
GOL…the wine lover in me says what a shame on the coffee cup, but the experience lover in me says that’s a story you can tell over and over…another great wine “experience” seeing as how
good Pinot out of a bad cup is better than bad Pinot out of a good cup!

B
October 19, 2006

Italian Stallion
Hey guys,

Gary….I may be confused but didn’t you say there was a noticeable difference in tastes with the different wine glasses…..but at the end you said it doesn’t….did anyone else catch that or is it just me. By the way GREAT episode….you need to get the 04 Caymus in stock, cause Caymus is one of my favs……

-Stallion
October 19, 2006

Tony
Karen,

Hopefully, he was pulling our leg on the “not”. If not, then he was pulling our leg on the whole tasting. Trust me, if that’s the case, a LOT of viewers are going to be pissed and Gary is going to lose a lot of viewers because they won’t feel that they can trust him.

Gary sent me an email saying that he was “stunned” by the difference between glasses, so I’m convinced that he was pulling our leg with the “not”.
October 19, 2006

TimF
In case anyone missed this on yesterday’s thread…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIgmh-lgI4c
October 19, 2006

Dominus
“Absolutely not!” I assume you were joking?

I’ll let the little woman watch this episode and stop it before the last comment so she doesn’t give me any more wrath when I buy my next set of glasses.
October 19, 2006

Brandon M
Cshell…I was gonna say Regis Filben

Big Billy…great point on the Brandy…since the majority of our overall taste comes from smell, doesn’t it make sense that the glass makes a difference?

Karen…is that Joe Pesci from 1962?

Tony…didn’t you mean Vayndication?

Ok…think I’m all caught up…Go Cards!

B
October 19, 2006

Tony
Hey, a big shout out to tampasteve for his intro! Where are you tampasteve???
October 19, 2006

stewart l
So, are you kidding with us. I believe there are subtle differences in the smell of the wine with different glasses
October 19, 2006

MarcT
Nice episode Gary…99 points.
Dig the French Cuffs too!

Come on guys…by now we should all know what that “absolutely not” followed by that VaynerSMIRK meant!

Yes I have experienced what you did today Gary.

Off to a Poker game…I’ll be back later.

Gary, is the Sawyer Rutherford Cab #9729 the cab from Sawyer Cellars? Without the pic I don’t want to make a mistake. Thanks.
October 19, 2006

StanVH
Great. Great show. Indeed, your last two have been great.

Yes, I too am a believer in different glasses ever since I went to a “glass” tasting several years ago. There we only had three – a Reidel Red, Reidel White and the one provided by the hotel where the tasting was held, which was referred to as the “Joker” glass.

It was quite amazing to smell the differences — the red wine in the white glass didn’t hold a candle next to the red wine in the red glass. Similarly the white wine in the white glass outdid the same wine in the red glass. And the wines in the “joker” glass were far behind. As a result of this, I bought a Reidel set of two white and two red glasses in a protected bag to carry to restaurants.

However, my wife is too embarresed to let me take them anyplace. I will show her your episode and try again.

Here is another suggestion for an episode: How about a champaign tasting using the Reidel champaign glass, a “Marie Antonette” glass, and a generic white wine glass.
October 19, 2006

TampaSteve
WWAAAAHHHHOOOOOOOOOOO…I’m on WLTV! Now I need to go watch the episode.
October 19, 2006

Drew Rod
Last two episodes were awesome. This was a 100 point episode!!! Great effort, solid finish. Same question as Rob B: How many different type of wine glasses should the average person have at home?
October 19, 2006

HomerJ
I really enjoyed this episode. Thanks, Gary.
Since different type of glass affect the nose, now I’m wondering if differnt brand of glass affect the taste?
Anyway, great work.
October 19, 2006

TampaSteve
I had to stop mid-show just to tell Gary: I don’t think you have anything to worry about in losing interest in the Jets…now back to WLTV.
October 19, 2006

Michael Palmer
Hey Gary,

This is my first post. I loved this episode. It is nice to see a professional, such as yourself, still learning, despite your very last comment. It was obvious on your face, you were “smelling” a difference in the glasses.

I found your site through YouTube only a couple of weeks ago. I feel like I found someone I can trust and receive a wine education, such as tonights episode. Like others, I sure hope you will do more educational episodes and not just tastings. I’ve back and watched dozens of the shows.

I enjoyed your Monday show so well, I ordered 6 bottles; 2 of the Chat Haut Gardere and 4 of the Vitae Chianti Colli Senesi (yes, I took advantage of the free shipping-lol) I guess I’m one of the 700 – lol

Thanks again for the shows Gary.

-Michael
October 19, 2006

cgf
Gary-
Great Episode! This might be my new favorite. You are an excellent educator. I have actually done this with the Riedel Burgundy and Bordeaux glasses and found the differences to be dramatic as well.
October 19, 2006

TampaSteve
Gary, you stole my funnel trick. That is exactly what I have been doing for the year now. I decant the wine at home, funnel it back into the bottle, put the cork in just enough so nothing spills and off to the restaurant we go.
October 19, 2006

Steve F (FingerLakes NY)
Gary:

I know that stemware size and shape matters! For example; after a rugby game we found ourselves with a full bottle and no stems. As ruggers will do; we drank the cabernet directly out of our boots. I must say; it definately showed that expected earthy, terrior driven nose and a bit of a musty finish. I could definately taste lizard skin and dirt. Additionally, the Merrell boot had a much more closed nose than did my Timberland.

Ruggers; shooting a boot so that you don’t have to!
October 19, 2006

Brandon M
Michael Palmer – Welcome aboard, hold on for a great ride!
October 19, 2006

TimF
I listed to a podcast about stemware and it’s effect on wine. I think it was on the Oz Wine Show. They talked about why the glasses make it taste difference. Different glasses deliver the wine to a different place in your mouth and thus different aspects are emphasized on the attack (initial taste). I find it fascinating that they have no science to predict which wine glass to use for which wine, but rather they make a glass and try it with many wines to see which works best. It’s essentially all trial and error…
October 19, 2006

TimF
Gary – I was watching episode 29 today and you mentioned something about doing a blind Champagne tasting sometime in September or October along with us viewers. We’re running out of time…
October 19, 2006

good old ludwig van
When we first got our varietal-specific glasses, we did a blind tasting comparing a Spiegelau red wine glass and a Riedel Vinum series that was correct for the wine (I forget the varietal we tested). My wife could tell the difference, even with her eyes closed and me holding the glass and tipping it for her (so she couldn’t be tipped off by the weight or feel of the glass).

Over and over she correctly guessed which glass I’d just had her taste from.

One interesting note, though, is that the varietal specific glass seems to enhance the characteristics of a wine–which may not be a good thing! For cheaper wines, we usually use the generic Speigelaus so it doesn’t accentuate flaws. We use Riedel Vinum series when we’re drinking better stuff, and the Sommelier series for our best bottles.

I love the Sommeliers, but I can’t relax when I’m using them because I’m terrified of breaking one!
October 19, 2006

SS Chris
GARY, I’m with JOE(#27) & my good friend, STALLION(#46)….I’m thoroughly confused.

The entire episode was asserting that glass type DOES matter, especially on the NOSE.

For the Caymus Cab, your rating ranged from 91 all the up to 95 which is a HUUUUGE difference.

But at the end you say, and I quote, “Do Wine Glasses have an impact on wine? I’m going to give it a singing, huge, ABSOLUTELY not.”

Was that last statement a joke, or did you mis-speak?

P.S. Remember, I’m like a court stenographer due to the SS…gotta watch what you say.
October 19, 2006

SS Chris
VaynIACS, I know that there have been some questions for Gary as to what glass to buy if you’re going to get one set to get started. I asked this same question of Gary a few months ago…his answer was the Bordeaux (which was confirmed as a good choice on this episode). Hope this helps!!
October 19, 2006

SS Chris
One more thing…I know that Gary worked very hard yesterday tasting 15 wines. I worked the 2nd hardest, entering all of those tasting notes into the SS (including the 13 letter U’s requested by Gary when he used HUGE on the Tallulah).

Can a brother get a shout-out from one VaynIAC? sheeesh!!!
October 19, 2006

DennisA
Gary,
When trying other wine glasses, how about comparing the stemless galls,which was the recent rage, with the classic stem glass.
October 19, 2006

DennisA
That was stemless glass
October 19, 2006

Jaye
Hey Gary . . . I hate to sound like a broken record, but you really did a great job again today (even with that bit at the end where you call into question the whole previous 26 minutes)! I have tried the same wine out of different glasses and noticed a considerable difference. So much so that I don’t even use my wedding crystal — it sits untouched except for maybe Thanksgiving when it matters more to me that the table looks just right, rather than how the wine tastes.

I have several different Riedel Vinum wine glasses. For whites: Chablis (5 – one broke), Riesling Grand Cru (6), and Rheingau (4). For reds: Syrah (6) and Bordeaux (6) (I also use the RGC wine glasses for Chianti and other Italian wines). In addition I have 2 each Cab/Merlot “O” and Riesling/Sauv Blanc “O” just for every day use because I got tired of having to replace stems all the time. I like to think I have most of my bases covered with this collection.

If I could only have two stem glasses, I would go with the Bordeaux and the Chablis.

I think I might buy some Port glasses in about 20 years when it comes time to drink my vintage ports.

Regarding those comments about restaurants . . . I don’t take wine glasses with me to restaurants instead I just take inexpensive wine (unless I know they have good glasses). I save the “good” wines for home-cooked meals where I can control everything.

I noticed that Riedel has a tasting glass: http://riedel.com/website/english/frameset/homeenglish/collections/riedel_collections/vinum/vinum4/popupvinumtasting/body_popupvinumtasting.html
Would using a glass like this provide a more level playing field for tastings, or is it always a good idea to taste using the “right glass”. If so, why do so many places still do their wine tastings in those awful little plastic or even paper cups? I think even WineLibrary is guilty of this on their weekend tastings. I think I would be self-concious about bringing my own “tasting glass” with me, but if its the difference between that and drinking out of a little paper or plastic cup, maybe I just need to get over it. What do others think?
October 19, 2006

Rick
Gary

We are having a new stemware designed just for wines from Loire. The stemware is called â€œPierre Bleaue.â€ On one side there is a crest with grape vine and clusters. Since it can hold so much wine, we are making the top fit a large screw cap.

Our designer MaÃ§on en Pierre ran several tests with a panel of French wine judges. All agreed that wines judged using â€œPierre Bleaueâ€ stemware taste like â€˜wet rockâ€™. Some judges suggested that it is the large open top that reveals the gout de terroir.

Our salemen Fred and Barne will be on the east coast in the near future. Fred and Barne want to go to a Jets game.
October 19, 2006

Jaye
SS Chris . . .

YOU ROCK!!
October 19, 2006

Rick
Gary

Fred said, “If you do not have Jets tickets for him and Barne then you can pick-up your â€œPierre Bleaueâ€ stemware from this website http://www.nextag.com/ball-mason-jars/search-html.
October 19, 2006

Karen
okay, this is not at all like me to pursue something in the comments section at wltv. i’m laid back, not dogged…except when it comes to misconception, mistaking perception based on expectation. i’m a cognitive psychologist, this is what i spend my 70 hour weeks studying: human behaviour. of course it makes absolute common sense that there’s going to be a difference in the effect of drinking champagne from a fish bowl versus from fluted crystal stemware, there is some physics at work here…but how much of it is your perception of the difference tastes because you expect the differences to be be there?
usually i’m pretty passive about watching garyv too. let him load while i work, watch with a distracted interest, pausing him when i need to attend to work. but, no, not today…when i saw he was going to cover this stemware issue everything else was put on hold while all my attention was on garyv. after the first round of tasting, it thought to myself, “garyv is as susceptible to illusion as we all are…he is human after all” but i really still needed to see the rest. and at the end, when he’s taking two practically identical glasses and claiming a difference i wanted to scream “Snob!” at the laptop. not Garyv!!!
and then i saw the grin. and then the last comment. and i thought, well ha, there it is. he’s a very clever fellow. this is why he’s interesting. so i said so much in a comment. i thought everyone would see it…garyv, once again, teaching us. our bodhisattva. but then i read the comments and man-oh-man, you’re all taking this too seriously. you perceive the wine tastes better in the Sommeliers because you spent a freakin fortune on the glasses and you only take them out for the best occasions and for the best wines.
i grant you that there is art in wine making and wine appreciation but grant me that there is also science. an excerpt from cnn.money.com, an article called be a better liar, may 1, 2005:

“….Parker and Matthews and hundreds of other wine luminaries are now believers (and as a result, they are Riedel’s best word-of-mouth marketers). Millions of wine drinkers around the world have been persuaded that a $200 bottle of Opus One (or a bottle of Two-Buck Chuck) tastes better when served in the proper Riedel glass.

Yet when tests are done scientifically–double-blind tests that eliminate any chance that the subject would know the shape of the glass–there is absolutely zero detectable difference among glasses. A $1 glass and a $20 glass deliver precisely the same impact on the wine: none.

So what’s going on? Why do wine experts insist that the wine tastes better in a Riedel glass at the same time that scientists can easily prove it doesn’t? The flaw in the experiment, as outlined by Daniel Zwerdling in Gourmet magazine, is that the reason the wine tastes better is that people believe it should. This makes sense, of course. Taste is subjective. Riedel sells millions of dollars’ worth of glasses every year. It sells glasses to intelligent, well-off wine lovers, who then proceed to enjoy their wine more than they did before. Marketing, in the form of an expensive glass and the story that goes with it, has more impact on the taste of wine than oak casks or fancy corks or the rain in June. Georg Riedel makes your wine taste better by telling you a story.”
October 19, 2006

MarcT
Jaye…I think that bringing your own glass is a good idea for tastings.
I took my own glass to “Wine South” because they were giving away glasses…that means you get a cheap POS.
I left my “free” glass on the table.
…Now thinking about it…maybe this makes us wine snobs!!! Oh well. I saw a guy at “Wine South” with his own glass AND his own spit bucket! That was awesome…and you know I asked him where he got his kick ass bucket too!!! I will be that guy next time!

SS Chris, I was looking at your SS and wondering how you will score the Caymus.
October 19, 2006

SS Chris
Marc T,

Gary scored the Caymus from 91 to 95. So, on my spreadsheet, I gave it a 95. I figured it wasn’t fair to score a red wine that was tasted in a champagne glass. Moreover, the 95 was registered while GV was using the Bordeaux, which is the glass he typically uses.

With all that being said, it will not show up on the Web SS (as opposed to my personal SS that I still maintain for myself). Anyway one of the “limitations” of the Web tool is that it requires a WL Code in order for me to enter anything. Since this is sold out, I can’t find the WL code on the WL website. I need to reach out to people to try to get that code which will allow me to enter the Rating and tasting notes, etc.
October 19, 2006

MarcT
Karen…I could not disagree with you more…I have done blind tastings in the manner of not knowing any way possible what glass I was drinking out of and even if I was drinking the same wine and the glass made a noticeable difference. Now this is my own closed experiment and although I am not a doctor or a scientist I have also studied upper level psychology. I do agree that one can have a mental deception of reality when there are non placebos in place also.
But I truly believe that glasses make a difference.

On a side note…I have never paid more than $10/pc for stemware.
October 19, 2006

MarcT
Thanks for the info SS Chris…you are great…Thanks again for your efforts!
October 19, 2006

JohnM
Muchas gracias to both GaryV and SS Chris. This epi gets a 98.
October 19, 2006

MarcT
On a second side note…I have paid $865 for one bottle of wine…WTF?!?!?!?!?!
October 19, 2006

Kahuna
Karen – Great post – But sorry I dont buy it. Science says there no such thing as a curveball. I don’t belive that either
October 19, 2006

Rob M.
Gary, Please don’t apologize for not getting to questions when you deliver episodes like today and yesterday. Outstanding episodes, fun, educational, and informative. I continue to enjoy every day!
October 19, 2006

Jaye
Hiya Karen — I also disagree with you . . . to some degree. After buying my Syrah glasses I noticed there was little (if any) discernable difference between the two samples. However, there is a very noticeable difference between the Chablis and the Bordeaux. There is also a very noticeable difference between drinking wine out of gorgeous Waterford crystal and a Riedel wine glass . . . and by the way, the Riedel Vinums cost a lot less than my Waterford too.

For most people the difference in taste would be absolutely imperceptible. This is also why I would never waste a 20 year old Bordeaux on someone who thinks Yellowtail is “awesome”. However, for those of us who really look for those differences in wine . . . the things that make a wine unique — the shape of the glass does seem to make a difference. And frankly, I have no problem spending $24 on a Bordeaux glass that I will use over and over and over again to drink wines that cost $30 – $300. If I am spending that much on a wine, and have then allowed it to cellar for 5-15 years, I want to make sure I am getting every aspect of that wine.
October 19, 2006

Susan
SS Chris-
THANK YOU sooooooooooooooooooooo…………
much for all of your work on the spreadsheet!!!!!
I am sure it is very time confusing!
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!
October 19, 2006

Jaye
oops . . . no diference between Syrah and Bordeaux.
October 19, 2006

Susan
Gary-
I don’t care what anyone says.
I like the shirt and tie!
It is a cool outfit!
It shows you (& Liz) have good taste in clothing!
Or is that Liz & you?
Anyway, you have good taste!
October 19, 2006

Susan
Brandon M,
I am glad to see I am not the only one who works!
I wasn’t at home for almost a month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My new job is good
but being gone that long is exhausting!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
October 19, 2006

Susan
SS Chris,
Sorry about that.
I meant to say time
consuming.
Anyway, I haven’t had much sleep.
I am not a good speller even when I have had sleep.
October 19, 2006

Susan
Gary-
More education – excellent!
Thanks for the tip using a funnel and taking wine to a restaurant.
I just have to find a restaurant that will let me BYOB and not kick me out!
October 19, 2006

DennisA
Enjoyed a “Hearty Burgundy” in a “looney toon” grape jelly glass on a lawn chair on a summer evening.
Priceless, Absolutely Priceless
October 19, 2006

SS Chris
Did anyone see that catch by Endy Chavez?

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Mets!!!!!!!
October 19, 2006

Chris Marcantonio
Gary,
October 19, 2006

Chuck W
SS Chris….thanks one more time for the spreadsheet. I do not buy without it. The Mets have no pitchers and they are going to win this thing.
October 19, 2006

PeteB
I really enjoyed this episode and I echo the sentiment above, I hope to see more like this.

QOD: Only with the nose have I noticed a difference btw. glasses. Now, would I run out and get a different glass for every wine – the answer is no – I’ll stick to the basics – a glass for reds, a glass for whites and a glass for the bubbly.

However, what I would also like to note that I have experienced an extreme difference in glasses when I dine out, but I don’t think it was the glass that made the difference, but rather how they were cleaned. For example, my wife & I tried the Cain Concept out at a restaurant – we experienced a really shocking vanilla nose on the wine. But when we tried it at home in our glasses, the vanilla nose was completely absent and the taste was also very different. So we were wondering what the difference was – then we tried a Cab. Sauv. at another restaurant and what would you know – the same exact vanilla nose. Now our glasses at home were not far off from the glasses in the restaurant and we decanted the same time as in the restaurant (plus we did it 3 times), so the only difference we can guess is the way the glasses are cleaned at some restaurants. At home we basically use hot water and minimal detergent on occasion. I don’t know, but has anyone else experienced the same?
October 19, 2006

Jaye
PeteB – I use dishwashing liquid with a good rinsing. Then dry with a lint-free towel. Bascially everything you aren’t supposed to do. Haven’t tasted soap or cloth yet!
October 19, 2006

Greg
Gary,

Nice billboard outside of Giants (Jets) stadium.
W-I-N-E!
October 19, 2006

Susan
Vanyiacs-
Since I don’t own any wine glasses yet.
How are you supposed to wash wine glasses?
Does anyone know?
October 19, 2006

Susan
100 !?!?!?!?!?!?
Keep the comments coming Vanyiacs!!
October 19, 2006

Dan G.
Gary, Super show. One of my favorites. Very Edumacational like the decanting episode. Like a few others have said before me; theres no way Im going out and buying 8 different set of stemware (have better things to spend money on). One or two do just fine by me. Have to score this one a 98.

Whats up with the comment. I used to like the Yankees till they won the World Series. Which of the 26 are you talking about. Thats assinine! Does that mean since the Jets have actually won one a loooong time ago you’re going to dump them too?
October 19, 2006

E
Who’s that hiding in the decanters? David Letterman? Andy Dufresne?

Not only does free shipping rock, by the way, but halfway across the country by Thursday? Land speed record.

Sam – I don’t know if they still make them, but the entry-level Riedel Ouvertures aren’t a bad deal; the generic red and white are nice if a little on the small side, and the magnum does pretty good all-purpose work (in fact, I think it’s the WLTV weapon of choice most days).
October 19, 2006

E
By the way: those large flour-sack towels are perfect for drying glasses off, especially if you have really hard water like we do. Lose the fabric softener when you’re washing them, though …
October 19, 2006

Susan
Karen,
I am sure there is a real difference not just perceived.
I have been to wine tastings and had wine out of proper wine glasses.
I just don’t have much in the bank at the moment.
I can tell a real difference between what I have at wine tastings and out of my cheap coffee mug.
It is night and day!
Really!
October 19, 2006

SS Chris
E, That is the Dwignt Bobblehead hiding within the Decanters.

Dwight…the character for the NBC show, “The Office”

BTW, that’s a gift from me…..
October 19, 2006

SS Chris
METS lose…I’m officially in mourning!

I’ll be gone for at least a month…someone will need to take over SS duties.
October 20, 2006

JustinL
Come on, Gary. Are you joking through the whole episode, or are you joking at the end? I am assuming that you were just testing to see how many people were paying attention at the end of the episode, but I’m not sure.
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
He was most definitely kidding at the end…I Gaurantee it!
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
Right now I am tasting / evaluating the Reserve Perrin Cotes Du Rhone from episode #101.

My thoughts are this:
Without a doubt I feel the alchohol all over the mouth. It is drying out my tounge after five or six sip swish spits (say that 10 times fast). I have not mastered the taste of currant yet so I don’t know if that’s there at all, and there is a tiny bit of cherry on the mid-palette, but not enough to make you happy. Man…it feels like I just did a shot of tequila write on the back of my tongue…yuck. There’s absolutly no finish…except the achohol which is lasting a good 4 to 5 minutes.

Here’s my suggestion…the next time a free shipping code comes along buy a six to eight dollar bottle of wine that Gary has given a PASS on. I did this on purpose with this 84 minus rated wine from Gary. Just buy one bottle and then taste it along side the episode. You NEED to do this if you are a novice to somewhat experienced wine drinker. When you taste the good stuff with Gary it’s all pleasant and there are no rough edges, so how will you know what to taste or smell for when they come along. I believe if you are trying to better your palette, then this is a must in your evolution as an educated wine consumer.

SS Chris…sorry that you won’t be taking your sons to the WS, but at least you enjoyed more playoffs than I did. Great Great Baseball season, no matter what happens!
October 20, 2006

JustinL
Yes, Gary confirmed via email that he was kidding at the end.
October 20, 2006

RCP
Gary

Super episode!! I think you’ve finally ended all debate on the matter. Your teeth/mouth were the same color as your shirt by the end.
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
Gary…I’m in a bind and need some help. Can you call me and give the never ending free shipping code.
Thanks…your the man!

B
October 20, 2006

Jim Vandegriff
Good educational experience in this episode. Thanks Gary. A question for you, and a suggestion follow. When driving back home from Sacramento today, I backtracked a bit to taste at the Jeriko estate winery near Hopland in Mendocino County. Jeriko is owned by the Fetzer family (who don’t own the winery with their name any longer, I believe). They are using solely organic grapes in their new winery, and since I had to drive, I decided to spit out everything I tasted. There were small ceramic dump jars (quite attractive) on the tasting counter, so I used one to spit into. Of course, I did manage to get some wine on my shirt despite being careful, so my request is that you gross everyone out, and specifically show us your swirl in mouth and spit technique. That may be too graphic for wltv, but I think it would be useful. The suggestion I have is for an episode on organic wines. You could have one of the organic wine producers talk about the reasons for organic in their minds, and maybe even one of the biodynamic grapegrowers talk (to us or to you) about their process. I did enjoy a number of the Jeriko wines. Thanks, Jim
October 20, 2006

Darlene O.
I kind of fast-forwarded here and didn’t read all the comments, but am I the ONLY one who watched the episode all the way through? Did I here you correctly, Gary, that, after going through the gyrations of ‘this is different…that is different’, you say, at the very end that different wine glasses ‘ABSOLUTELY DO NOT’ have an impact on the taste of wine? Just the nose, then? What?!?!?!?
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
Jim Vandegriff…All you have to do is go home and practice. It just takes some doing. I have a Goatee, so it took me quite a few times spitting without getting all over the goat. But once you get it, you’ll realize your a spitting pro and spit with the best of them.

B
October 20, 2006

Dan G.
I caught the Absolutely not as well. He had to be joking; especially after all that tasting.
October 20, 2006

Matty Van, Rochester NY
Obviously the nose will be differnt in a differnt glass, different air to aroma ratio, but the taste after the split second it hits your mouth your mouth will be just as full no matter what shape the glass is and it should taste the same, only difference is where the first drops hit your tounge. I think drinking out of a super expensive nice glass might just make you think it taste better due to a placebo effect and the good feeling of knowing your holding a $100 glass

for an all purpose red wine glass and the most bang for the buck here is what I have and recomend…

Riedel Vivant Pinot Noir Glasses – Set of 4 $39.99

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=in_de_detail-buybox-with-variations/602-7040357-5207010?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=&asin=B000B5R05C

they are super thin which is good but if you just knock one over on the counter it will break, but at $10 a glass its no big deal, but if I had Riedel Sommeliers at $75 per glass I would be pissed, especially if someone else broke one. I would rather save $240 on the set and buy a case of wine.
October 20, 2006

Tony manning
Thank You, Thank you, now when I look at a wall of wine glasses, I can say what it is.
Thanks Gary.
http://www.thewineglass.net
October 20, 2006

TimF
Jim Vandegriff: Like Brandon M said, just practice at home. Pour yourself a glass of water and spit into the sink. After a few sessions you’ll have all the confidence in the world at a tasting…
October 20, 2006

TimF
Has anyone tried the Trevor Jones Old Tawny Port Jonesy? Looks like they got some more in. That’s got to be about the highest QPR I’ve ever seen: 93RP for $8!
October 20, 2006

MarcT
DarleneO…you’ve got to start reading the comments!!

Good statement about the low rated wines BrandonM. Though I have not done what you did, I have purposely bought “cheap, crap” wine and tasted it to search for the flavors and flaws that a “bad” wine produce. It is a very educational experience. I recommend it to EVERYONE that wants to learn more about wine…and you never know…one of the “cheap, crap” wines you try might end up being pleasant to your palate as we are all different.

Oooops to the Mets. SS Chris. Hold your head up. Your guys did WAY better than my Braves! Even with one of my old pitchers (although he doesnâ€™t have what he used to).
October 20, 2006

Carlitos
Thanks for a great episode!

I think we all kind of knew that glasses do affect at least the aroma.

Free shipping ROCKS! 700+ people! You definitely have to do this more often!!!
October 20, 2006

Eugene
Gary, thank you for really scientific episode. I feel weâ€™re getting closer to the kitchen blends now (see my comment to one of the previous episodes).

About the glasses.

You have deep misunderstanding and underappreciation of the Chianti/Riesling glass.
For those just starting getting Riedel glasses: This is the most versatile glass.

Itâ€™s very useful for most reds and whites. I actually use it a lot.

My second favorite is Bordeaux/Cabernet glass.

On the daily bases I find myself using â€œOâ€ glasses more often even though I am generally against stemless glasses. But they are less fragile and can go in dishwasher.

Champagne glasses I use, as one can guess for champagne, which I drink less often than y wife wants.

All of the glasses mentioned above are Vinum. I wouldnâ€™t even bother with Somalier since they are very fragile.

A first piece of advice: Get cheep Ikea glasses (which are quite good considering price $2 a piece and they are sturdy) for large gathering and outdoor events. Uninitiated people think theyâ€™re nice and people in the know would understand.

A second advice: donâ€™t wash Riedel on the night of the party (unless you want to shell out $20 a piece next morning to replace broken stems)
October 20, 2006

Lynne
OK, all,
I have not the space nor the funds for different types of glasses for specific types of wines…SO..please, someone recommend the preferred type to buy if a person were to own one style for red and one for white.
Very educational Ep, Gary

QOD Part I:not enough experience to answer that one
QOD Part II: You will NEVER stop loving the Jets…You GOTTA love ‘em if you’re gonna own them!!
October 20, 2006

Italian Stallion
Where’s my buddy SS Chris….you kick ass and your spreadsheet is absolutely AMAZING!!! So you bought Gary that Dwight Bobblehead doll…..where’d you get the bobblehead??

-Stallion
October 20, 2006

Miguelo DiMarco
I played the end of this episode a few extra times to make sure I heard it right, but some of you all heard it too: the big contradiction. Or was it a paradox? Did he want to leave us where we started (unconfirmed) so we would ultimately decide the question for ourselves? I always thought big was big and small was different, but the contours of the glass didn’t matter. Now I have to buy some more glassware. . . .
October 20, 2006

Tony S.
Great episode Gary! I couldn’t finish all the way through the Caymus though…got a lot of work to do today. Excellant episode actually.

As for the QOD: for the last three years, my wife has been getting me one of the Sommelier series of Riedel glasses. The first was the Bordeaux (freakin’ HUUUUGE glass…it’s crazy), the second was the Red Burgundy and last years was the Montrachet (unfortunately, I will probably never get to actually have some Montrachet in my Montrachet glass…but it still works for lower end white Burgs).

Anyway, I use these sparingly so that I don’t break them. But I use them for nicer wines, and when my wife is having wine with me, she uses our regular old Ikea glasses and we’ll both try the wine from each glass. And like you said, it really, really makes a difference mainly in the nose, but that’s one of the best parts of wine. So, I fully agree that the right glass makes a difference.

Sorry about your Mets…I was rooting for them. As a Cubs fan, I hate the Cardinals, but they are a good team. Go Tigers. And I know you won’t ever lose interest in your Jets. Football is great all around. Baseball gets boring, it’s a sport I watch when I’m kicking back on the couch and snoozing for an hour or so. Football is when I’m on the edge of the couch at full attention, and I’m sure you’re the same way.

Alright…see you later,
GO BEARS!!!
T
October 20, 2006

Big Billy from Big D
IMHO The physical considerations for wine glasses:
1) Tulip shape – absolutely essential for swirling. With the nice tulip shape you can swirl to your heartâ€™s content. Try swirling in a Flintstones jelly glass (preferably with water) if you want a demonstration of the importance of the tulip shape. I think a taller bowl is better than a globe shaped bowl.
2) A nice big glass (not too big). The bowl size matters I think in terms of the capacity of our sinuses. When the aromatics form from the swirling I want a nice big gulp of those aromatics for my enjoyment. Unlike Bill Clinton, I freely admit to inhaling, itâ€™s essential to the enjoyment of even a moderate plonk.

I have two basic sizes: a 24 oz Cab/Bordeaux glass that I actually use for every still wine, and a similar smaller 14 to 16 oz like the Chianti glass for whites. The two patterns mostly add an air of festivity at a small dinner party.

For parties my solution was to but pressed glass stem on sale at Cost Plus/World market. They come in made to measure corrugated boxes so handy for storage. I keep them in the attic. I have 24 champagne flutes, and 24 12 oz cap. still wine tulips. In addition I have about 50 wine charms to help folks identify whicvh of several identical glasses belongs to them at a party.

It isnâ€™t as elegant, but it is practical.

I love my big Cab glasses.

Salud
October 20, 2006

Mitch
Gary, I’m a big fan and don’t want to be a troublemaker, but why do I get lots of e-mails touting wines that certain wine publications rated highly when you frequently don’t agree with the ratings? Would you not agree that these wine publications for better or worse help you sell lots of wine, and that some/many are wines that you don’t think are all that good?
October 20, 2006

Justin D
Well my wife thinks I am crazy with glasses, but I guess I am. I will not go back to a BYOB with bad glasses especially with a good bottle. Sometimes I bring my own glass andd she hates that. My nightmare is the Italian restruant that uses the very THICK and very old school glasses (that happens at least once in every 10 times I go to a new BYOB).

On one visit to your store one of your salesmer directed me tward the Ravenscroft line which I use all the time and think is a good product.
October 20, 2006

Lawrence Leichtman
Went to a Reidel tasting with 5 varieties of glasses and noted a huge difference for some wines but not all. did not see as much with the white wines though the Sauvignon Blanc glass seems to bring out acidity more. Burgundies and Cabs were major differences and I was quite surprised. After that I bought three types Burgundy, Bordeaux and Sauvingnon Blanc.

Don’t the judged tastings and people like Parker and Tanzer use the standard small (3.75 ounce) glasses for rating? If that is the case they emphasize flaws more than the right glass. Could that cause some of the major rating differences we see between the different publications? Perhaps if the right glasses were used we might see totally different ratings.
October 20, 2006

Rick W.
Gary,

The bigest difference to me in tasting out of different glasses is the lip! When you drink from a more expensive glass it has a straight edge vs a cheaper glass that has a lip. The nose will not make a difference in the same shape, but the palette will change dramatically!

Rick W.
October 20, 2006

GeneV
Gary,

I’m another big fan of the 13 oz Chianti glass for tastings and for everyday drinking. It is versatile and a superb glass for comparing different wines. I use this glass more than any other in my collection. On the other hand, IMHO, Pinot seems more affected by using the glass dedicated to it than any other.

Someone else is a big fan of at this size glass–Robert Parker. I started a thread on oversize glassesa while back on the Squires BB early this year and Parker himself responded with his fondness for this type of glass, especially for everyday drinking. It allows a responsible pour to be properly aerated–filling 1/3 of the glass.
October 20, 2006

Julius
While I agree with much of what Karen (comment #76) says, there does seem to be a major flaw. I thought that taste WAS a perception, and a personal one at that. It’s why a piece of fine chocolate can make one person have an orgasm and make another person gag. It’s why I hate bananas, which is known to be the most universally liked foods. But Riedel is in the business to sell glasses so of course there going to tell their story. I have some Riedel Vinum Bordeaux glasses, with less than I started. Because of their fragility, I replaced the broken ones with Spiegelau. The bowls are identical and they were less than one third the cost. I think that the large bowls of the bordeaux and/or burgundy glass are going to let a wine “breathe” and allow it’s aroma/bouquet
to develop and for one to “perceive” (and enjoy) it. The way that Gary tastes the wine makes me believe that the idea that the “wine glass is fine-tuned to direct the flow of the wine onto parts of the palate that will best express the flavors and aromas of a specific wine varietal” is superfluous. And while I can accept that there would be a noticeable difference in the perception of a wine tasted in both a Champagne flute and Bordeaux glass, I can’t believe that there is any noticeble difference when comparing the wine in a red Burgundy and Montrachet glass.
October 20, 2006

TampaSteve
So how many of you have went out and bought new glassware?
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
Lynn…the best advice I could give is to go get Riedel Ouveture Red wine and Riedel Ouveture White wine glasses. They are very affordable compared to the other Riedel Stemware, it’s versatile because you can serve the majority of wines in them, and you and your friends still get the feeling of drinking from glasses made by Riedel. This is what I did for a long long time.

Most places you can pick up a set of 4 each for around $145 bones, which isn’t bad for a full set of Riedel.

B
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
I went out and bought the Sommelier Water glasses and put my Sommelier Bordeaux Grand Cru next to it. I pored Aquafina in both. The Aquafina tastes light and refreshing in the Sommelier water glass, but tastes slimey, almost Arrowhead like, in the Bordeaux glass.

At $100 a glass, I suggest everyone try this.

Riedel has a sparkling wine glass, why don’t they have a sparkling water glass? Now what am I gonna drink my Pelligrino out of?

B
October 20, 2006

TampaSteve
All this education is great and wonderfull. However I see one problem, you get SPOILED. I have found it difficult to go out to a restaurant anymore. I no longer want to shell out $75 plus a bottle to open it and drink it right away without proper decanting, so this is how it usually goes: I have to first decant my own wine at home, refill the bottle and get dirty looks from almost every restaurant I go to (other than the regulars). They may have a corkage fee but I have found that most retaurants HATE when you bring your own wine. Few will even want to touch the bottle, nevermind refill your glass. Then comes the glassware issue, most restaurants have poor stemware. After this lesson, do I need to bring my own stemware also? Now if I want to shell out a few hundred dollars everytime I go out I can go to very high end restaurants that do have proper glassware and service. You get my point. This is all great and wonderfull but somewhere we have to have a nice balance….either that or we will all be eating out and going broke because we need to go to 5 star restaurants or stay home where we know we have everything right….it’s a mixed blessing.
October 20, 2006

Big Billy from Big D
Today in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine section (sfgate.com/wine) the lead feature is exactly on subject with WLTV Ep. 111.

The article is primarily a little love fest in praise of Riedel, it does add some more in depth information about the topic of wineglass shape proliferation. Interestingly, Riedel began the Sommelier series in 1958 with the Burgundy Grand Cru and has since added more than 40 (!) different shapes to cover innumerable eventualities.

Heaven help us.
October 20, 2006

Steve
Since the real difference is in the nose, and some in the taste, I think the aeration is the key factor. Therefore, the wider and bigger the glasses, the more aeration it gets, (i.e. Bordeaux glass gets more than a champaign glass in the SAME amount of time.) Therefore, I wonder if it would be more fair by tasting the bigger glasses first, and thus allowing more time, and aeration, to the smaller glasses.

Another way is to smell all of the glasses right away and talk about the nose first. Then, go into tasting starting with the biggest glass. This may be a better way in my opinion, (or what I would do if I have the complete set of Ridel glasses!)

Great episode. Your rock!
October 20, 2006

SS Chris
STALLION, You can get DWIGHT on nbcuniversalstore.com

I need to order another for myself, they’re $15 w/ $7 shipping. If I order 2 the shipping goes up only a buck to $8 for two. You want me to order one for you too and will both save a few bones. I can bring it to the PARTY or leave it with someone at WL (if that’s better). Let me know.

Actually, don’t you work there?
October 20, 2006

Susan
TampaSteve-
I don’t have the funds to buy anything right now.
But at some point in the next few months,
I will buy a few nice Riedel glasses.
I am glad for good education to know which glasses to buy.
In the end, that will actually save me money.
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
Maybe we are wine snobs and just don’t want to admit it.
October 20, 2006

SS Chris
BRANDON M., You’re trying to be nice now about the METS…don’t think I didn’t see your “Go Cardinals” posting. You Bast*ard!!! LOL
October 20, 2006

Matthew L
Thanks Gary. I have a number of glasses, but mainly red, white and flutes. I have a couple of different sizes for the reds. All-in-all, I don’t really notice that much of a difference in the taste of the wine. I think the glasses affect the bouquet more than anything else.

I enjoyed a couple glasses of Rock Rabbit 2003 Syrah last night. I am saving a nice Cote du Rhone for the 1st game of the world series tomorrow. GO GO GO TIGERS!!!
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
SS Chris…not a Mets fan, and well…you did KILL my beloved Dodgers. However, there are few things better than a father taking his kids to a ball game (no matter how old his kids get…Dad….you readin this?)

B
October 20, 2006

Matthew L
Gary…the lavendar on lavendar works. Especially if you had on a charcoal grey or a dark tan suit. I think Regis kinda killed any love for monochromatic combinations. He got the “pimp” moniker and it kind of stuck.

Question: You’re going to a friend’s house for dinner and want to bring a bottle of wine. You don’t know what’s for dinner. What are you thoughts on what varietal to bring, and how much should one spend on the bottle? Mind you…your friend appreciates wine, but is not an oenophile.
October 20, 2006

SS Chris
Brandon M.,

You are so right…we had a GREAT time and I know my boys will remember the experience forever. What’s better than that…right?
October 20, 2006

SS Chris
QUESTION: Is GeneV another VaynerPERSON (like GaryV and lizV)??
October 20, 2006

SS Chris
Oh…forgot…GeneV’s comment was #133
October 20, 2006

Big Billy from Big D
I am a fan of Jancis Robinson.

An announcement today in sfgate.com/wine/

“The third edition of the Oxford Companion to Wine (815 pages, $65), edited by Chronicle contributor Jancis Robinson, has just been released.

The 6-pound, 8-ounce tome is heavier than many a healthy baby. Yet this wine encyclopedia is not a book that cries for constant attention — you don’t read the 3,900 entries cover to cover. Instead, turn to it for definitions of “riddling” (to lightly shake bottles of fermenting bubbly) and when wondering where the best vineyards are in Zimbabwe (25 miles east of Harare). ”

Here’s to you Mrs. Robinson

I hope someone gives me this for Christmas. on the other hand this release will drop the price on remainders and used copies of the 2d edition.

Chin chin
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
Great call on the Simon and Garfunkle Big B!
October 20, 2006

joe
Gary:

What is the best order to drink Pinot and Cab. You drank the pinot first in this episode. Often, I find that drinking the relatively sweeter/smoother pinot before a more dry and tannic red, like Cabernet, makes the Cab seem excessively bitter. I wonder if the prefered order should be cab before pinot?

Last night, in LA, we drank a 2004 Sea Smoke Ten Pinot before a 2002 Hourglass Cabernet. The Hourglass seemed bitter by comparison and I am sure did not show as well if the order was reversed. We almost got into a fight over the order to drink the wines. Can you provide guidance?

Joe in LA.
October 20, 2006

Julius
Matthew L – When you’re going to a friend’s house for dinner, bringing a bottle of wine for that friend is a gift. It’s up to your friend to decide whether it will be served with dinner. He or she may have already selected a wine. So the wine can be anything you choose. If, however, it was previously determined that you would be bringing the wine specifically for that dinner, then you should ask what’s on the menu so that you will be able to select an appropriate wine.
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
perfect explination Julius
October 20, 2006

Matthew L
Thanks Julius. That’s pretty much my M.O. If I’m expected to bring wine for dinner, I usually know what’s being served and pair it from there.

My M.O., now, is to bring a nice bottle of wine as a gift for the hosts; not expecting it to be consumed with dinner. I had to get over that because years ago I would bring a nice bottle of wine, the hosts wouldn’t open it and I was like WTF?
October 20, 2006

Julius
My wife and I general don’t have a problem with restaurants having a good wine list, decanting the wine or having the proper glassware. Or enjoying really good food for that matter. We have it all at home. I’m not bragging when I say I’m a good cook, to which my wife can attest. In fact, being in New York City, where there is no lack of restaurants, there have been so many times that she has said the food at home is better than at the restaurant we where currently dining. And the wine list, along with its accoutrements, is usually far superior.
October 20, 2006

Eugene
Brandon,
I disagree with you on Ouveture, they donâ€™t represent Riedel at all.

You might as well get Ikea glasses for $2 each. The Vinum is the way to go. Just my opinion.
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
I’ve never had a restaurant salmon as good as I, or my Dad, can cook it. I think home cooking is ALWAYS superior to going out. Usually your getting a gourmet meal and GREAT wine for far less money.
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
Eugene…explain further
October 20, 2006

Eugene
Julius,
I agree with you on the restaurant issue, except that sometime ambience makes it all.

As far as wine goes, it usually safe to bring a nice bottle of white. It can be served as an aperitif before dinner, even if the host serving red meat.

Some reds are very versatile. A good bottle of Rioja reserva would go with almost anything.
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
Sorry Everyone…Eugene is right…I was thinking the Ouverture (Just off of a small Internet picture) I did mean Vinum (Lynn…the price is actually correct for the Vinum…you can find them around 18 – 19 bones each) 4 Vinum Bordeaux and 4 Vinum Chardonnay / Chablis.

Geese…I’m losin it.

B
October 20, 2006

Eugene
Brandon,
Ouverture is not made of crystal. It is the cheapest line of Riedel. The glasses for reds and for whites are much smaller than their respective cousins on Vinum line. The glass is thick and just not the same quality as other Riedel glasses.
October 20, 2006

Julius
Wine Enthusiast has a line of Riedel glasses called the “wine line.” They’re machine blown lead free crystal and they’re currently on sale at $41.95 for a set a four plus free shipping. They offer a Cab/Bordeaux/Merrlot, a Pinot Noir/Burgundy, a Chardonnay/Sauv Blanc/Pinot Grigio, a Zin/Chianti and a Champagne flute.
October 20, 2006

Jaye
Brandon, RE: #137 . . . LMAO!!
October 20, 2006

Italian Stallion
Hey Chris,

Actually I do work there….how’d you know? I asked where you got it because maybe you too work at NBC and we would not only have been WLTV blog buddies, but also colleagues…how funny would that have been? It wouldn’t be unusual because I saw a colleague at the super tasting and never knew he was a WLTV fan as I was……so as they say “You never know”…..PS: I use spieglau glasses and they work great. I have the Spieglau bordeaux glasses…..exactly the same as the riedel, just a little heavier..

-Stallion
October 20, 2006

TampaSteve
Ok, just got back from Williams-Sonoma 200 bones poorer but 8 Ridel glasses richer.

Italian Stallion, Riedel recently bought out Spiegelau. I use the Spiegelau when I have wine tastings at my house.

Brandon, I have found that I am doing a lot more cooking at home. I have a hard time paying 3 times the price for a bottle at a restaurant when I can enjoy it the “right” way at home for 1/3 the price.
October 20, 2006

GOL
TampaSteve – Your comment #138 is right on. I felt like I was reading my own thoughts.

Susan – GV answered my question of how he washes wine glasses and mentioned how others wash glases on a previous episode, I’m guessing it was somewhere in the 70s. To paraphrase, he uses hot water and just gives it a rinse. I have found this works pretty well if you can wash your glasses fairly soon after using them; in addition, to get marks off the lip, i just hold the glass in one hand (on the base, not the stem, which is weak) and “pinch” my fingers together on the lip while i rotate the glass. I use water as hot as I can stand. Then I use a hand towel to dry. No streaks. I’ve never broken a glass this way, and after a while it gets pretty easy.
October 20, 2006

Susan
GOL-
Thanks for the good tip.
The last thing I would want to do is get some of my first wines glasses
and then break them the first time they are washed!
October 20, 2006

Rick McQ
Gary: Great Show!!!

Will wine taste different if you drink from the other side of the glass? If you try it use Yellow Tail.
October 20, 2006

TimF
Rick McQ: No, but it will stop your hiccups…
October 20, 2006

Matthew L
Target sells Riedel glasses don’t they? I assume there are different “levels” of quality for these glasses, just as there are different levels of quality from vineyards. Meaning, perhaps the Riedel sold at Target is at the low end of the quality spectrum, whereas Riedel sold at Wine Library or Williams & Sonoma are higher quality.

Does anyone know?
October 20, 2006

Rob M.
TampaSteve, Brandon, Julius- I agree with your comments regarding eating at home. I, too, enjoy cooking, but as with wine, still have a lot to learn. However, instead of going out and spending $100 on two nice dinners, you can throw caution to the wind and buy some great ingredients. You can go to a good butcher for your meat, instead of the supermarket. You can buy items that will last for future meals, i.e. good olive oil, vinegar, newly purchased spices, etc. Use fresh herbs instead of dried. All, still less than you would have paid in the restarant. Then, there is the wine. No 2.5-3x markups. Use your stemware. Decant if you like, for as long as you like. Whatever your price point, think about having two bottles of wine with dinner, PLUS one to save for later, all for the same price as the one bottle in the restaurant. Finally, if you have children, the cost of the babysitter can be saved (and invested in more wine, or Brandon’s Sommelier toilet water bowl, etc). We love you, Brandon!

GeneV- I understand and respect your (and Robert Parker’s) comments, but it seems to me the bigger the better. I understand to a point, you may not get as concentrated of a nose in a big bowl, but if the greater surface area exposed to air, while swirling, should aerate and open the wine more. For some reason, I enjoy a 5 oz pour in a 22 oz glass- I know the glass looks nearly empty, but I love putting my big shnoz in the glass and inhaling deeply! However, I freely admit if the bigger is better was the rule, there would be no 13 oz chianti glass, etc.

Ready for the new episode!
October 20, 2006

Rob M.
Julius, I also saw the “wine” series on Riedel’s web site. Does anyone have any experience with these, specifically how they compare with the similarly priced Vinum series, how sturdy they are, etc?
October 20, 2006

Rob M.
175!!!
October 20, 2006

Rob M.
4*{[(17+4)*2]+2} !!!!!
October 20, 2006

TimF
Rob M.: Bored?
October 20, 2006

E
Matthew – the Target Riedels are the Vivant line (see upthread). As far as I know they’re somewhere between the Ouverture and Vinum lines in quality–they’re lead free crystal as opposed to glass. I don’t have any myself, but they’re larger than the standard Ouvertures. The decanter’s not a bad deal for $20, but if you want to maximize the amount of exposure to air you can only get a half bottle in there.
October 20, 2006

TommyG
Its the stemware, stupid!!!

So Gary, when are you going to start offering great deals on glasses?

I really enjoyed this episode, very educational.
Keep them coming!
October 20, 2006

Eugene
Matthew L, Rob M

Target sells wine series glasses, which are lower grade than the vinum.
October 20, 2006

TampaSteve
Rob, I got news for you, I have found the “eating in” even works well on vacation. Now don’t get me wrong I love a good restaurant but sometimes I just love a good wine better. My wife and I toured Tuscany for 2 weeks this summer. First trip without the kids. In any case several times we just went to a deli, got some super nice cheese, prosciutto and bread and would pick up a very nice Brunello and just sit outside and have a romantic quiet dinner by ourselves…it was wonderfull. A couple of weekends ago we took off to Disney Vero Beach for the weekend (with the kids of course) and ate out the first night at a very nice restaurant. Second night we ordered pizza and drank a nice bottle of wine (from Wine Library of couse) and sat by the ocean. The kids played and my wife and I enjoyed it more than the first night dining out that cost us over $100 for dinner.
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
TampaSteve..Absolutely agree. Denyce and I love eating in when were on vacation. It slows down the meal and lets you enjoy the souroundings a little more.

B
October 20, 2006

KAHUNA
Going out to eat- I agree with the home meal- I am an avid cook myself. I do feel going out to eat is important though- It helps expand your taste for food and what new ingrediants to try at home- Just take one visit to Felidia’s in NYC and do the food and wine pairing and if you are brave let them pick the whole menu-It is a great experience!

Every time we go out to eat we generally chat with a table close by, waiter, sommelier or owner. This always gives us the best wine and food tips around. I am never afraid to ask a chef or owner where he eats when not at his place- Of course in NYC its Blue Ribbon for all chefs. I find all this worth the extra $ spent on wine.

That being said here is a tip for any seafood lover- order from http://www.great-alaska-seafood.com/
they have REAL wild Salmon several variaties and the best KING CRAB-real stuff you will not find in most high end restaurants- They run spelials all the time that is the way to go- Get on their mailing list.

Last night I had their King Crab I took out of the shell with their scallops and shrimp in a butter (Cabot Brand), Tuscan olive oil, garlic sauce tossed with fettucine and cilantro and parsley topped with Ricotta Salata(dry salted ricotta, this is not the soft cheese)- A great meal – We had a Finger Lakes region wine – Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Reisling -My first Finger Lakes Reisling
October 20, 2006

Brandon M
droooool
October 20, 2006

cgf
Kahuna,
what vintage for the Dr. Frank’s and what did you think?
Was it a good food match, or would you have paired the wine or the food with something different second time around?
October 20, 2006

SS Chris
STALLION,

I think I saw you worked at NVC on your MySpace page.

Do you want me to order a Dwight for you??
October 20, 2006

KAHUNA
CGF,
It was the 2005 and I think it was a pretty good match- It was different for sure especially since most Reislings/Gewurt’s I drink are from Washington/Germany. I would drink it again it certainly got better on the second glass as I am notorious for popping and pouring so the first glass was a little tight.

The crab meat is so sweet you could easily get away with a Pinot-
Next time I am splurging all the way around and going with the UNOAKED Chardonay Reserve from Plumpjack 2004- It is the finest white wine I have had. Very light Oak 35% oaked the rest was stainless steel – only the oak portion was allowed to malo- I do not drink many chard’s I do love unoaked chards though. This one has a great balance
October 20, 2006

KAHUNA
Sorry about the big UNOAKED but thats how I refer to it even though it is lightly oaked.
October 20, 2006

KAHUNA
Gary,
Sorry forgot about the HE-MAN mention- We we Thundarr the Barbarian Fans -Princess Ariel certainly had it in all the right places!

The year 1994: From out of space comes a runaway
planet, hurtling between the Earth and the Moon,
unleashing cosmic destruction. Man’s civilization is
cast in ruin.

Two thousand years later, Earth is reborn…

A strange new world rises from the old: a world of
savagery, super science, and sorcery. But one man
bursts his bonds to fight for justice! With his companions
Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel, he pits his strength,
his courage, and his fabulous Sunsword against the
forces of evil.

He is Thundarr, the Barbarian!
October 20, 2006

KAHUNA
Oh yeah I named my dog Thundarr when I was in the sixth grade- even though she was a female that was 1982-ugh
October 20, 2006

Noah Rosenblum
Quote of the day:

“There can be no bargain without wine.” – Latin saying
October 21, 2006

GeneV
Chris,

I’m not related to Gary. I’m almost 2000 miles away.

Rob M.–Don’t get me wrong, I own and love a set of 28oz Burg glasses and 26oz Bord glasses. They really make a difference with wines with bouquets that are up to filling them. However, IMHO, for most “school night wines,” a 4 ounce pour of anything but pinot gets lost and diluted in 28 or more ounces of air, and unfortunately there are more “school nights” than weekends. For some reason, I find more pinot noir wines benefit more from a large burg glass than other varietals.

For weekend wines, other than delicate old wines, we use the bigger glases, but I usually taste from the 13oz Chianti glass first. With a great wine, the difference can be huge. One interesting set of glasses we use are the Schott Zwiesel mature wine glases. These really concentrate the nose of a delicate old (>20years) Bordeaux or Rioja into your nose, and you can swish and swirl endlessly. If you sniff a young 15.5% New World wine in this glass, you will open up your sinuses.
October 21, 2006

Beetz
Gary,
A GREAT episode.
I have done similar tastings with different glassware & there is a difference..
I use the Reidel Syrah glasses for my reds, I’m a big guy & these are the largest glasses in the vinum series.
I have not had the Hansel but I did have the 2004 Caymus at your Super tasting. The wine showed all the flavours you talked about. It was also at the same table as Darioush 2003 Cabernet, huge massive wine with lots of cinnamon, & the 2002 Pine Ridge Stags Leap Cabernet, elegant, refined & just this side of perfect. The only problem was the glasses. Can we have better glasses next year?
October 21, 2006

mikep
Gary

Interesting episode.Great Now I have to build more cabinet space to hold glasses. Nice Tie don’t spill anything on it. What is with the Dwight bobble head doll (love the Office)? I heard your comment about the open bottle in the car recently my wife and I were in Mass. ordered a bottle of wine with dinner and didn’t finish it when we were ready to leave they recorked the bottle and according to Mass. law sealed it in a plastic bag that once sealed would have to destroyed to get the wine out also had to attach dinner check showing wine purchase date and the rules were printed on bag pertaining to transport in your vehichle. Just thought it was interesting. Have a great day
October 21, 2006

sheila
A great wine glass does make the difference…however, I am always amazed that every wine tastes good in a regular glass when you are in Italy…
October 22, 2006

parsimoniouspat
MarkT–Please tell me: Where can one order a personal spit bucket? I’m assuming that it has some sort of handle or strap or something to facilitate being carrying it around? I just went to a tasting in St. Louis this past weekend and it was so crowded around the tables that I had a really hard time getting over to the dump buckets….so I ended up swallowing more wine that I would have otherwise (some of it wasn’t all that great, and I would have rather dumped it given the opportunity. I got a bit drunk! Which meant that I then had to go to a nearby restaurant for a couple of hours and dry out before I could drive home. So, I think that having a personal dump bucket is a great idea. I also think that a small Nalgene bottle attached via carabiner to one’s hip (for holding some water for rinsing) would be a good idea, because the place that I went did not have water available for rinsing the tasting glass. And sometimes the water is all gone, even if they do provide water….
October 23, 2006

Christos Maninos
The Shape of the wine glass and the bowl will certianly affect the taste and aroma of wine.
October 27, 2006

JayZee
Gary,

What was with that last comment? Tongue in cheek? Actually, that was truly a great episode. I have had manye experiences, such as those posted here by others, where I have tasted a wine I was familiar with in a wrongly-shaped glass at a restaurant and it made a HUGE difference. I agree with the subtlety issue. I think the biggest difference is the aroma which, as you say, is a BIG part of wine tasting. We have basically two types of glasses at home: Reidel “everyday” red glasses (Bordeaux type) and white glasses (white burgundy type) and then we have 6 of the Reidel Vinum Bordeaux Gran Cru glasses (the “Big Boys” as my lovely wife calls them). We also have Reidel Port glasses for, well, Ports. We find that this pretty much covers everything we drink pretty well. I have thought about getting some Syrah glasses since we do drink a good bit of Syrah, but I think you have convinced me that there is not a big enough difference to merit that purchase.

QOD#2: No, you will never get tired of the Jets even if they DO manage to win a Super Bowl in your lifetime. Hey, how about those Knicks?

- JayZee
October 30, 2006

Armando from Philly
Gary,

Been watching for a while — great stuff. This is my FIRST comment! Recently attended a Reidel-sponsored seminar where we tried wines in a Reidel glass and also a “decent quality” tasting glass (like typically used in restaurants & wineries) and was BLOWN AWAY by the difference. Made converts out of all the attendees. Definitely worth the investment IMHO, if you are serious about truly enjoying the total wine experience. Cheers,

AP
January 22, 2007

thomas korent
Hi,

I have a little opinion of my own here: the glass does make a difference, but only on the same date you taste the wine. I’ve had 5 bottles of the exact same wine over an 8 months period and the “glasses” changed substantially – because I always brought it as a present to a party. I’ve had it out of plastic glasses and paper cups (to disguise it in public locations) and proper Riedel Vinum Series. It tasted different every time. But I found the difference from plastic or paper cup to proper Riedel was less dramatic than the difference between normal bottle size and Magnum bottle and the additional ageing that the (relatively young) wine had had over those 8 months. Bottom line: choose your glass wisely, ok. But make sure you’re choosing when to pour the juice just as properly.
January 29, 2007

J Crazy
I live in Japan and there are 100 yen(99 cent) stores all over the place. Of course, I love wine so I picked up a bunch of “wine glasses” from the 99cent store and had been drinking wine out of them for about a year. Then my wife and I started attending a wine seminar at a local wine shop. The store sells all the glasses you showcased on this episode. One day I asked the owner of the shop if wine glasses really made a difference and he kinda chuckled at me, especially when I told him I had been drinking out of 99 cent store glasses. I bought the Bordeaux glasses and the Borgogne glasses and Jesus! After that my wife and I decided to become crusaders against 99 cent store wine glasses and hosted a wine tasting party to spread the word. We blind tasted a 1998ã€€Brunelloã€€Di Montalcino Lisini, a 2005ã€€Maximo (great Spanish wine produced by Baron De Ley), and an Eos 2002 Zin from Cali. Needless to say, at the end of the night we all jumped online and everyone who didn’t already have the glasses at home purchased them.
February 3, 2007

Corrado
Having found WLTV only recently, I’ve been looking through back episodes to get GaryV’s views on some of my ‘hotbutton’ issues.

I did not need to be convinced of the importance of wine glasses. I’m not a wine snob; in fact I’m still quite a novice in the wide world of wine. The best evidence I can present that glasses make a difference is that I’ve put friends and family to the test who think that notion is BS. My standard MO is to take something like a Chateau Souverain Cabernet and pour similar amounts into a 16oz pint glass, a crystal ‘wine glass (V-shaped), a Chardonnay glass (e.g. Spiegleau Vino Grande), and a Bordeaux (or Burgundy; I only got Bordeaux recently) glass of similar quality to the Chardonnay glass.

I let the guests taste in any order for the first round, but require them to go in order for the second tasting, either pint->Red or Red->pint. After the second round, I have them taste the opposite end one final time. Keep in mind, these are people who don’t claim to be wine aficionados and who don’t think glasses make a differnce. I haven’t found a single person YET who doesn’t walk away convinced that glasses affect taste.

As far as purchasing stemware, I have my ‘party’ glasses that are very generic, glass red & white glasses, I have my ‘guest’ glasses that are Speigleau Vino Grande Burgundy and Chardonnay stemware, and I have a growing collection of Mondavi Waterford HUGE glasses that I use when it’s ‘just us’ drinking wine @ home.

I agree 100% that **THE** glass to have to have is the Bordeaux. It’s a great jack-of-all-trades glass that can adequately serve Cab, Shiraz, Merlot, Fume Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay…

There should be a section of WLTV that’s ‘educational programs’ where things like glasses (111), palate training (148), decanting (18), and other shows where the focus is more on building skills than tasting the wine(s) du jour are covered.
February 3, 2007

Joel in Kyoto
gary…good work..once you try the test it becomes obvious. personally, i use the bordeaux and the burgundy glasses more than other glasses for reds…i find the syrah glass brings out (like you said) more acidity….it may be better suited to rhones than auz shiraz’s. but here’s a kicker: i am enjoying my big auz wines out of the burgundy glass these days!……..go ahead, try it….less acidity, less green-ness (read: bitter), more evolved, rounded and balanced in the burg glass (after SEVERAL HOURS decanting of course) in short: more complexity to my palate at least……i am gonna test drive a new release 04 kalleske greenock shz today with a bud and will taste it out of both glasses again…..lots of fun.

joel
February 20, 2007

TommyBoBo of WI
Riedel tasting in Minneapolis 6 years ago,, room of 50 skeptics,, blew everyone of us away. Took the tasting home to my wife and another couple, neither of which are big into wine,,, and without telling them which glass was best for which wine,, all three of them picked the glass that went with the wine!! bordeaux, Pinot, sauv blanc and chardonnay. I’ve been hooked since. But I’m going to try my Shiraz out of Burgundy glasses now that JOEL OF KYOTO mentioned it. tks
March 3, 2007

Alos Diallo
I do and I don’t I usually drink wine out of some antique glasses that we keep at home that were given to my mother by her grandmother. They are really nice however most of them are far smaller then the burgundy wine glass that was tried. I have often thought of going out and purchasing new glasses but I love the old ones and how they looks. I did notice that there was no more Caymus available, will you get any more in? I have never tried it and would love to order some.
March 27, 2007

CindyW
I know this is a few months after the episode first aired, but I have to tell you it is one of my favorites!

In my other beverage-sipping life, I’m a tea geek, and there are some big similarities in the tea and wine experience. Different types of teas brewed in different pots, poured into a variety of cup sizes, can present totally different aromas and taste characteristics. Fans of gourmet Chinese/Taiwanese oolongs (like myself) have different yixing pots for different regions of tea — we play with brewing times, talk about sulphur and grass and roasting distinctions. Its amazing how a tea prepared in one pot will smell of orchids and pine trees, yet in another pot it will be lackluster and characterless.

I knew this all of this, yet when my husband started bringing home different types of glasses for wine, I was skeptical. However, I soon found a difference myself and had to admit that glasses can make or break a wine experience. This episode further validated all of those purchases of Riedel glassware that my husband has made.

Thanks for a really interesting WineTV — learned a lot!
April 15, 2007

Kelly
I’ve just finished Matt Kramer’s book–Making Sense of Wine. In the book he discusses similar tests he’s had at the Riedel factory. After his evaluation he decides that the Zinfandel Vinum Series glass is the best glass for all wines in general. Why didn’t you use the glass? I was looking into buying some and you do sell them, so again why not use them?
April 27, 2007

EvanK
Hey Gary, Just like alot of people said GREAT episode and hope for more to come and im sure they did lol..( little late) getting closer to the new episode’s one at a time. My question is, For all the dirrerent trys of wine in the world which glass would be universal to use for them all??? just woundering , a WLTV FAN!

Evan.K
April 30, 2007

vanmatthew
Hey Gary, Hope this isn’t too late but what are the differences between brands of wine glasses. I see you use the Riedel Sommelier series but how do they compare to the Vinum, Spigelu, or the Waterford Connoisseur series.

Matt
June 21, 2007

John Witherspoon
HEY GV
Jumping back to check out some old eps, found this one and loved it. I am huge glass freak, I think it makes all the difference. Nothing disappoints me more (I am sure something does) than getting a small little goblet at a restaurant to drink my nice wine out of. I have done tastings before, doing comparisons, but of course I can see the glass so I am biased, although I feel there is totally a difference between a thick rimmed goblet and a thin rimmed tulip shaped glass. I have never done it to the extent that you did today, but I would love to.
Check out this link, it is a cool article and it is neat how she set up the test. I have met Jeannine at conference and she is pretty cool and has done some neat sensory perception experiments with wine and cheese. http://www.tastingscience.info/publications/Glass%20shape.pdf

See ya
J DUB
August 4, 2007

Daniel O
I’m impressed! I’ve heard a lot about the shape of a wine glass affecting the way it smells or tastes, but I haven’t seen anything like this before. I did get to experience this myself once, but it was a simpler example… a sommelier who was teaching a workshop passed around two glasses of red wine and asked us to smell both and tell him which one we thought smelled better. One glass was rounder, like a ball, while the other was more elongated and had a smaller opening/mouth. Of course, it turned out to be the same wine, but the aroma or nose was noticeably different! Now I have three sets of wine glasses: all purpose white, all purpose red, and sparkling. Maybe one day when I have a lot more money I’ll buy a full set of Riedel wine glasses!
August 12, 2007

justin
I have watched this episode a couple times, and have done my own glassware taste off. Glassware really does make a difference. Your AWSOME.
August 30, 2007

New to Wine? Interested to learn more? - Noticias externas
[...] Do wine glasses affect the taste of wine? [...]
September 17, 2007

Cato
Gary,

Your show on wine glasses, like all your others, was highly entertaining and informative.

I have a very unsophisticated palette and do not know much about wines; but as a doctoral student in Classics, I do have some acquaintance with Ancient Greek and Roman drinking customs. You probably were aware of this, but in case you weren’t, the Greeks and Romans had elaborate customs for mixing and serving wines, and they employed scores of differently shaped vessels.

The ancients may not have been as scientific as Riedel, but at least it suggests that for millennia people have suspected that the shape of wine vessels can affect the tasting experience.

Thank you for sharing your expertise and passion for wine. I learn so much from your shows and look forward to seeing many more!
October 8, 2007

arben ademaj
hi GARY,Im a new wine appasionated man,and i dont know much about them,but i like those things i hear from you even that i dont know haw deep you know wine,.thats becose you sound natural,i have drink a lot wine ,and i feel bed when i think that i have done it without knowing wine and treating it good it is amaizing haw much is inside the W I N E,
THANKS FROM BOSTON
October 13, 2007

Fred Liu
Hi, Gary. I am one of your new audience in China. After being a quiet listener for weeks, I get your call for the private-real-glass-stories. Now, here is mine. Recently, I got my Riedel sets, Bordeaux, Syrah, and Bourgogne, and tried the Cotes du Rhone, E.Guigal, 2003 in the Syrah. Comparing to my taste glass, a small one about the same size to Riesling, maybe smaller, which brought some prune and spicy aroma and a terribly acid and pungent palate, the wine in Syrah came out to be a prune, spicy, meaty, gamy, mint bloom of aroma, and a very supple and well-balanced palate. I can not remember all of them, but it is totally different, from hell to hevean.

Ok, that is my story and my part of effort.
I love your show, and move on.
Thank you!
November 6, 2007

SoCalDaveBandito
Having been a longtime watcher of WLTV I had to come back and watch this one again.

Is it just me? Did I miss something? Did Gary just spend an entire episode claiming how humbled he feels about this and how different (albeit subtle) the differences were in the glasses only to say at the very end that glasses don’t make a difference?

WTF?

Do the flavors change? Not too much. Is there a drastic difference? No.
But there are differences in the nose and isn’t that what Gary praises time and time again?

I’m a bit confused. I know this is quite some time later (currently up to episode #345) but if someone ever comes back and reads these comments again I’d like to hear an explanation.

Personally I like the bigger (Burgundy/Bordeaux/Syrah – AKA “Big Ass Glass”) wine glasses because they really allow me to give the wine a good swirl and aerate it and then a good sniff with my big ‘ol nose. To me it enhances the whole experience, but to each their own.
December 8, 2007

soyhead
i think gary in this episode you make the switch from vayner-chuk to vay-ner-chuk.
what made you do it?
December 10, 2007

Canadian Chris
Great episode, but I’m not sure what the last comment was – just a tongue in cheek? Just this weekend, I finished off a meritage at lunch on a Saturday that I had been drinking all week. That afternoon, I went out and got the cabernet sauvignon vitis glass from Riedel. At dinner, I opened a new bottle of the same meritage, poured it in the new glass and was surprised to taste a wine that tasted fuller, more polished, like the glass I poured earlier that day which had been oxidizing all week! Now I’m wondering at the shape of the glass too!! Holy smokes a glass for each varietal?
January 21, 2008

Andrew H.
This episode was AMAZING! I never even thought the glasses would make a difference in the wine experience. I cannot wait to try this one!
March 6, 2008

tina
this is my first time on this site, although i do love a good red. i just came upon these wine glasses from my grandmother (who has passed). i don’t know anything about them and would appreciate anything any of u could give me. they are “fred roberts company” that is “made in japan”. their a bell shaped, i think they are for wine!?! they are crystal. please let me know if u know anything, i’ve already googled it and that wasn’t enough. thank you!
March 15, 2008

foulmouthpoet
great episode. my brother and i had a wine last night. he was drinking out of a stemless glass (a very thin one– fairly wide just above the bottom and closes in quite a bit by the top), and i was drinking out of one of those new eisch glasses. we usually have very similiar taste. not that we enjoy the exact same stuff but that we usually can see what one another is tasting/smelling in a wine. we disagreed on many points, not thinking that the glasses could be the difference. then we started to catch on and switched glasses. WOW. huge difference. funniest thing was we both agreed that the wine smelled better out of his glass and it tasted better out of mine. two other people at the table who don’t usually get into our thorough/over-the-top/ridiculously-fun discussions about the wine we drink, also tried. it was unanimous. the glasses DO make a difference, even to very untrained palettes like ours. now which one would smell AND taste the best? we may have to get some more glasses….
March 25, 2008

kathyintex
Gary,
When I think of a tasting in different glasses, I think of different glass vendors, i.e., NOT using all Reidel Vinum (regardless of wine style shapes).

To me, a great wine glass improves the taste of the wine, and the wine drinking experience. I define a great glass as a glass that is stemmed, thin, and has NO bead, or lip, on the top rim, so that the wine is directed into the mouth properly.

To do a ‘glass-tasting’ from all Reidel GREAT glasses defeats the purpose of the comparison. Next time try any ‘Reidel-type’ bordeaux glass against a heavy Anchor vendor bordeaux glass, or a heavy Crisa bordeaux glass. Those two glasses are very thick, heavy and have a huge roll on the top that (to me) interferes with the tasting process.

Enjoyed the show (although I stopped at the third glass you tried so I could write this email to you!).

Thanks for what you do~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~kathyintex
‘God in His goodness sent the grapes, to cheer both great and small; little fools will drink too much, and great fools not at all.’
September 29, 2008

Casey Lee
who wouldnt want to watch part II? great episode. very interesting. loose the tie .but good vid. thanks for your opinion as always gary .
May 12, 2009

Bobbie Smith
I just did something similar with a friend the other night. Four wines, and different glasses from a coffee mug, to my normal wine glasses, to the appropriate Riedel. Night and Day. The Sauvignon Blanc had no grassy characteristics out of my glass, the Riedel classic Sauvignon. The Cabernet was so good, I regretted it the next day. So interesting. I was a total unbeliever until I did this and now I am going to go and buy some glasses, before I waste anymore wines out of the wrong glasses.
May 15, 2009

Phredd
I’m loving the archives. This is my new favorite episode. I’ve been trying to convince a friend for quite a long time now that he really needs new wine glasses, but he won’t believe me that it makes enough difference to be worth it. Hopefully this will convince him.

I love the end of the episode, by the way, and I love even more the susequent comments by the humor-impaired. Great expression on your face there, that should tell everyone everything they need to know.
September 9, 2009

» Wine Glasses, How Do they Affect Wine? Fun Wine Things blog
[...] Wine Glasses, How Do They Affect Wine? [...]
September 22, 2009

John J.
qotd: My glass story is similar to yours. I was dubious about that until years ago, after the restaurant I worked at was closed the rest of the staff and I poured off some bottles into all our different glasses. The verdict was that there was definitely a difference, the glasses weren’t different just for ambience. I was pretty surprised at the time.
Speaking of new things, would love to see you tackle an episode on vi jaune’s. A tasting on different charbono’s would be fun too.
Great episode Gary btw.
October 31, 2009

ben
i was looking at the vivant collection. I’m looking for a versatile red glass. someone above suggested to go with the pinot glass. how is that different than the basic red glass or the bordeaux?

Wine Glasses, How Do They Affect Wine? – Episode #111

Wines tasted in this episode:

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