Red wines are served in larger glasses with a larger wine-to-air surface area in order to provide better aeration of the red wine, thus enhancing its flavor.
Red wines are served in larger glasses with a larger wine-to-air surface area in order to provide better aeration of the red wine, thus enhancing its flavor. Whiskey Container
In my previous column, “Busting Wine Myths: Part 1,” we looked at some common beliefs including sulfite content in wine, whether aging a wine always makes it better, the caloric content of different wines and wine storage temperatures.
I now want to take a closer look at a few more common misconceptions we often find ourselves discussing in our tasting room.
The thicker the legs, the better the wine. When you swirl wine in a glass and let it fall back into the bowl, you'll notice streams of liquid flowing down the sides of the glass. Among wine enthusiasts, these little streaks are called the legs, or sometimes the tears, the fingers, or the cathedral arches. Contrary to popular belief, a wine's legs are not an indicator of quality, or for that matter, sweetness or viscosity.
These legs are actually a phenomenon caused by a wine’s alcohol evaporating at a faster rate and having a lower surface tension than the water content in the wine. The legs are being pushed up the glass by the increased surface tension before being naturally pulled back down by gravity. Other than a semi-fun show to watch, all the legs really tell you is whether the wine has a higher alcohol content, something you can usually just read on the label, and the fullness of the wine, something you would likely already know based on the varietal.
Screw caps are an indicator of cheap wine. While we have not made the switch over to screw cap wines at Zin Valle Vineyards, the fact is that screw cap wines are by no means necessarily lower quality than traditionally corked wines. In fact, screw caps are scientifically a better way to seal and store wine than cork. With screw caps, there is the impossibility of cork taint and other bacteria that can ruin a wine due to a cork’s natural composition. Increasingly, higher-end wineries are turning to the screw cap. However, for smaller producers, it can mean an expensive and relatively unnecessary change to your bottling line.
We haven’t made the switch at Zin Valle because we still love the natural and romantic aspect of pulling the cork out of a bottle of wine. Many of our customers also enjoy collecting our branded corks to add to their collection.
And finally, it just isn’t the same, is it? A waiter unscrewing a cap and awkwardly setting it on the table uncorking your favorite bottle of wine with that soothing POP!
The type of wine glass you use doesn’t really matter. Believe it or not, there are specific reasons for different types and shapes of wine glasses that all have to do with enhancing your chosen wine’s best characteristics. At the most basic level, you’ve likely noticed that white wines are traditionally served in smaller glasses, while red wines are served in larger glasses with big bowls.
The reason is quite important. Red wines are served in larger glasses with a larger wine-to-air surface area in order to provide better aeration of the red wine, thus enhancing its flavor. It's essentially the same principle as swirling the wine in your glass, which also provides aeration.
Beyond that, the other most common wine glass shapes are for Champagne style or sparkling wines and those for dessert wines. Sparkling wine glasses are designed the way they are – tall and skinny with less aeration – to enhance and preserve carbonation, i.e., the bubbles.
Dessert wines glasses are traditionally smaller because they are typically full of high-alcohol wines, so you don’t need a huge vessel. Also, because the smaller glasses help highlight the dessert wines sweetness and richness.
What about stemmed glasses versus stemless?
Of course, it’s a free country and you can drink wine however you want – except straight from the bottle – please don’t do that.
I prefer a good stemless glass if I’m enjoying wine in the wild and unpredictable outdoors, especially poolside and/or in the wind.
Any other time, however, I prefer the traditional stem because it keeps your fingerprints off the bowl of the glass so you can continue to enjoy your wine’s true color. There is no faster way to warm up a nice, chilled wine than with your hands. Keeping them away on a stem prevents that unwanted warming.
Ryan Poulos owns Zin Valle Vineyards in Canutillo, Texas. He can be reached at ryan@zinvalle.com. Visit Zin Valle's Instagram @zinvalle.
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