Wine is about more than the taste. There is a depth to wine that is important to the true wine connoisseur. You have to respect that every aspect of wine should be enjoyed in order to truly appreciate the beauty and the design of the wine. That is why a true wine lover will know that the glasses you use to serve wine are almost as important as the drink that goes in the glass.
Wine glasses help to present the wine in its best light. You have to choose glasses carefully or you risk muffling the full flavor and body of the wine. With so many wine glass choices, though, choosing a good wine glass can be tricky. You just have to learn the basics so you can become a real wine expert.
Recognizing what a Good Glass Accomplishes
As mentioned, enjoying wine is about more than taste. You want to look at the color of the wine and take in the aroma of the wine. All these aspects come together. Wine tasting is all about using each of the five senses to enjoy the beauty of the drink.
Wine glasses help to bring out the look and the aroma of wine. The shape of the glass and its depth both work together to either present the wine in the best light or stump its abilities.
Choosing the right wine glass is imperative to bringing forth the full personality of a wine. Choosing the wrong glass will diminish the greatest of a wine and perhaps make it less enjoyable than it should be.
Making a Good Pairing
Pairing a wine with the glass is all about recognizing what the glass does for the wine. Here's a look at the two most popular shapes of glasses:
Tall and thin: Tall and think glasses will condense the aroma and allow for a great overall look at the wine. This type of glass is perfect for champagne because it allows one to enjoy the bubbles. You want to use this glass type for delicate, white wines.
Wide and Broad: Wide glasses with broad rims really spread out the aroma and give a look at the depth of the wine. This type of glass should be used with bolder, red wines. You may use this for your merlot or cabernet.
You have to remember the bottom line is that you want your glass to show off everything your wine has to offer. If your glass is stunting a particular feature of the wine then it is not the right glass.
On last tip that goes along with choosing the right glass is using the glass to its fullest to present your wine. Even with the best wine glass you can still mess up the presentation if you pour the glass too full. Always pour wine to only 1/3 or ? of the depth of the glass. With this trick when you choose the right glass your wine will really be shown off to the fullest.
Creating a wine basket over the Internet is not only time saving for you, but it is an excellent way to really personalize the basket. There are many unique spins that can be taken on a gift basket.
Some may feel that a gift chosen online is impersonal. This is not necessarily true. Prices and selections are vastly improved when shopping online, so it is far easier to find a gem of a product that may not be available in your area. Having a wider selection is actually better, as it virtually guarantees that your gift will be one of a kind.
Start by choosing a basket that will suit the taste of the gift recipient. If your friend or family member has a Mediterranean style kitchen, choose a basket in rich earth tones of brownish-red and aqua blues. For country kitchens, opt for a wicker basket. Modern kitchens with stainless steel appliances will look even better with a teak basket. The possibilities are endless.
The contents of the gift basket are also full of possibilities. If the wine connoisseur, you can choose one style of wine, say a Shiraz, and then select a number of Shiraz's from different vineyards. This is an appropriate gift for the wine lover who enjoys picking out the different tones and bouquets found in any variety of wine.
A beginning enthusiast will appreciate a basket with a few varieties of wines so that he or she can start narrowing down his or her favorite styles. You can add some wine glasses, wine charms, and a bottle stopper, as these are items a beginner may not already have on hand.
If you have a local vineyard, they often can put together a unique basket for you. Typical vineyards offer wines with personalized labels, locally produced jellies, handmade chocolate truffles, local cheeses, and even some area breads and crackers. A gift basket from local products can be a real kick for someone from out of town.
Wine is excellent with cheese and crackers. You can look into adding gourmet cheese products, some unique crackers, and other goodies. A great tip is to purchase things you know the gift recipient often refuses to purchase because he or she feels they are too extravagant. The items that a person most desires are always the ones he or she cannot afford.
No matter what a person's tastes may be, they will be thrilled with a wine and food basket. It's a thought that truly comes from the heart.
Both Caroline Silverstone & Gregg Hall are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.