The Art of Tasting Wine

Tasting wine is such a pleasure. The aromatics, the sensual touch in your mouth, and discovering the flavor nuances are just three of the things that make drinking wine a pleasure unlike any other. I have stated many times that wine is romance in a bottle, but it’s not until the wine actually slides into the glass that courtship truly begins.

How do you drink your wine? Do you know that the glassware you choose can have a big impact on your wine experience? Do you use the best possible glass to get the most out of the wine? In my opinion, Riedel makes the best stemware in the world to maximize the pleasure that any wine has to offer. Riedel makes many glasses and in many shapes, ever wonder why? The shape of the glass is responsible for the flow of the wine onto the pallet and for the way we perceive wine’s aromatic components. Therefore, to fully appreciate the personality of different grape varieties and the subtle character of wines, it is essential to have the appropriately fine-tuned glasses. The initial contact point, which has the most lasting effect, is dependent on the shape and volume of the glass, the diameter of the rim, and its finish (cut and polished or rolled at the edge).  Once the tongue is in contact with the wine, three messages are instantly and simultaneously transmitted: temperature, texture, and taste.  Then the many different elements of a fine wine, including fruit, acidity, mineralogy, tannin structure and alcohol follow; and the nuances should not be lost because of the glassware.

Riedel knows this. In fact, for 11 generations this family has studied the science behind this phenomenon and each glass that Riedel makes has a specific wine or spirit flavor profile in mind. And now a special member of the Riedel family, Maximilian Riedel, will be coming to Indianapolis specifically to share his expertise on the Art of Tasting Wine at the Riedel Wine Tasting at The Montage at Allison Pointe on 10/29/2009. Everyone in attendance will get the opportunity to experience the differences first hand. First the wine will be tasted with a generic wine glass, and then with the perfectly matched Riedel glass. Most people I have worked with on this process have only one word to say…Wow!

Riedel glasses are designed for great balance, great beauty and bringing out the full potential of the wine.  The experience of a Riedel tasting will leave you wondering if you’ll ever drink out of any other glass.