If you are a budding wine enthusiast then you should realize that the wine glasses you use factor into how the wine tastes as well as how it smells. There are a number of different styles of wine glasses in varying qualities from inexpensive glass to expensive Italian crystal stemware. It is not necessarily how much you spend per glass that counts but the style you choose for the wine you wish to consume.
Types of Glasses
While there are quite a few styles of wine glasses, three main types prevail: the champagne flute, the wine glass with a large bowl and the wine glass with a smaller bowl. The champagne flute is tall and slender with a long stem and elongated bowl perfect for showcasing sparkling wines as well as keeping the hands on the stem to prevent quick warming of the wine.
Red wines are enhanced greatly by wine glasses with a moderate stem and larger bowl than other glasses. The wider bowl opens up the body of the wine, giving it a chance to breathe to let the heartiness of the grape shine through. With white wines, the wine glasses best suited for them have a moderate stem and a smaller, narrower bowl but not as narrow as the champagne flute. The narrowness of the glasses allows the wine to stay chilled longer while the stem keeps your hands from the bowl to prevent the warming of the wine.
Caring for your Glasses
If possible, you will want to wash your wine glasses by hand as they are delicate and require special attention paid to the rinsing. The dishwasher may get the glasses clean but due to its shape, there may be some soap residue trapped inside the bowl of the glasses. This residue can greatly alter not only the taste of a wine but also its aroma and structure.
Wine glasses washed with soap should really be washed by hand as you can control the rinsing and ensure no soap residue is left over. Some wine enthusiasts feel that only hot water should be used to clean the glasses as any soap whatsoever, no matter how diligent the rinsing is, will taint the flavor of the wine. Regardless of which way you wash the wine glasses, be sure to hold them up to eye level against the light to check for soap residue, scum or spots.
Once you have washed the glasses, you must be careful in how they are dried and stored so as to prevent water spots from drying on them. The best course of action is to allow the wine glasses to drip-dry first and then polish them up with a soft cloth to create a clear shine. Storing them in your cupboard upright in a dry place until ready for use and then buffing with a soft cloth before pouring wine into them will create a memorable, wine tasting experience.
In response to care of you wine glasses. Try a Wubeez! It’s a glass polishing and buffing cloth that is available at (wubeez.com). If you hand wash your stemware and the glasses are still wet, then you can use a dry or lightly damp Wubeez. If your glasses are dry and somewhat soap streaked after being left in the dishwasher overnight, then the Wubeez has to be lightly damp.
Best Regards! Robert