If there is anything we wine enthusiasts love as much as good wine, it has to be wine gear. Wine totes, decanters, stoppers: we have sections of our kitchens dedicated to our gear. And then there’s the issue of stemware.
Many of us swear that the type of glass used for drinking wine has a crucial effect on the taste of the wine. And whether or not this is true, manufacturers of stemware are happy to further this impression. For those who aren’t content with one type of glass for all of their wines, or a glass for reds and another for whites, Riedel is happy to provide specialized glasses for Burgundy Grand Cru, Hermitage, Loire, and Gruner Vetliner, to name a few examples. For the manufacturer, the impulse is clear; why sell a customer one set of stemware, whey you can sell them two, or even four?
For us consumers, there is undeniably a psychological effect attached to enjoying wine from the proper stemware. Just like the power of suggestion operates on us while tasting (I’m quick to taste the kiwi in the Chardonnay after my companion points it out), our minds are willing to perceive a wine as fuller, deeper, even spicier when it comes from the “right” glass. That effect alone might be enough to justify keeping that cabinet stocked with different glasses. But at the risk of weakening the hold of this psychological effect, I’m going to run through some current scientific research.
A handful of food scientists and psychologists have addressed the question of stemware and the experience of wine in the last few years. Before you assume that these folks are just looking for an excuse to drink wine on the job, these studies were all conducted using outside panelists–the researchers themselves didn’t take part in the study. (Of course, none of the published papers note what happened to the leftover wine.)
The question of who the tasters were necessarily has an important role on how much we can trust these studies. We all know that experienced tasters have a better grasp of subtle differences in flavor and aroma than novices. One study found little difference in the intensity and specific characteristics of the aroma from a California Cabernet Sauvignon, when smelled in four different glasses: a crystal water goblet, a standard restaurant wine glass, as well as specialty Chardonnay and Bordeaux glasses. However, there was no indication that any of the tasters on the panel had any real background in wine tasting—under the same circumstances, more experienced tasters might be more likely to identify differences in the nose. (As an aside, perhaps the most interesting component of this study was the use of a vortex to replicate the swirling of the wineglasses without allowing the tasters to touch them, ensuring a blind tasting.)
Another study, evaluating the perception of polyphenolic compounds (tannins) in Merlot after aerating the wine in three types of glasses (Champagne flute, Bordeaux glass, and martini glass), relied on tasters who regularly consumed a minimum of one glass a week. Still, even in a group that had some familiarity with wine, the panelists were unable to identify any statistically significant difference in levels of tannins between any of the glasses. The researchers in this study took a different approach to making sure the tasting was blind: after the wine was aerated in the three different glasses for fixed intervals of time, the panelists ultimately tasted the wines from 50 mL beakers. We generally don’t have those stored with our wine gear.
Interestingly enough, the one study that did produce any conclusive results linking glass type and sensation relied upon a panel of experts. This study examined the influence of nine different types of glasses on the flavor of “toasted wine” from Ribereio, Spain. The production of this wine, made from dried white grapes, has recently entered under the rules of the Ribeiro DO. Indeed, the tasting panel for the study was made from nine members of the Official Tasting Panel of the Regulating Council of the appellation. These expert tasters were able to conclude that out of the nine glasses, a Schott Zweisel cask-aged spirits glass was best suited for Ribeiro toasted wines.
But, before we start the superior tasting abilities of the experts, it’s worth noting that unlike the previous two studies, this tasting wasn’t blind. Instead, the panel was able to see and feel the glassware. Thus, there was nothing to stop preconceived notions of which glass might be better, or other psychological effects, from influencing the tasting.
Which leads us right back to where we started. While any “scientific” link between glass type and sensation of wine appears pretty shaky, even the experts seem to validate the presence of a psychological link. In the end, I can’t help conclude: Who cares what the experts say? If that Riedel crystal Burgundy Grand Cru glass helps you enjoy your 2005 Burgundy a bit more, than you know best. Who’s to tell you otherwise?
