Selecting the right wine glass can often heighten the enjoyment of a wine, many experts will tell you.
To test this theory, I asked Wine Press Northwest magazine's tasting group to try a variety of wine glasses, with each containing the same wine.
Columbia Crest 1998 cabernet sauvignon was poured into each glass. It's aromatic, rich and smooth, with nice chocolate and berry overtones and a tasty finish.
First up was a juice tumbler glass similar to those a lot of old-world wine drinkers use for everyday wine. It is small and you can't swirl it much, but it did allow some of the wine's charm to come through.
Next was a 6-ounce Libby glass common in many restaurants that aren't wine savvy. The cabernet was a bit more enjoyable than from the tumbler.
The next glass was a Riedel crystal 13-ounce zinfandel glass, followed by a 16-ounce Spiegelau crystal glass and finally a 24-ounce Riedel pinot noir glass. The cabernet tasted fine in all three, but probably best in the big 24-ounce glass.
What the panel found is that size seems more important than shape, to a point. A bigger glass makes it easier to swirl and aerate the wine before sipping.
Even so, the sturdy 16-ounce Libby-style restaurant tulip-shaped glass that Wine Press Northwest's tasting panel uses proved just as good as the fancy crystal in bringing out the nuances of the cabernet.
What's most important to remember is that glasses should be generously sized, with a tulip shape - a fat middle and a narrower top. For red wine, a narrower top is better. A thin rim also seems to enhance the enjoyment.
Very good glasses start at about $5. Fancy crystal goes up to $85 and maybe more, but the price won't make a wine wonderful.
For your $85, you can have a 10-inch-tall burgundy-pinot noir glass from International Wine Accessory magazine that holds 37 ounces - about a bottle and a fourth if filled to the rim. The only trouble is, one clumsy moment and you're out a small fortune.
A recent copy of International Wine Accessories magazine features so many different glasses it can make your head spin - 24 different sizes and shapes - for cabernet, syrah, chardonnay, pinot noir, vintage-style chardonnay, dessert or ice wine, vintage champagne, regular champagne, zinfandel, sauvignon blanc and a set of four called Vinum, extreme service for new world wines.
For my money, I'll take the 12-ounce glass the Tri-City Wine Festival has used for the past couple of years or the 16-ounce Libby-style restaurant glass for everyday sipping.
New releases
The following wines were tasted by a Wine Press Northwest magazine panel. Tasters do not know either the winery or the type of wine when reviewing. A wine must receive a unanimous vote to gain an outstanding rating.
McCrea 2000 chardonnay, Elerding Vineyards, Yakima Valley, $25 - Outstanding. Big, oaky, full-flavored chardonnay. A rich and beautiful blend of oak and fruit. Aromas and flavors of fresh Hawaiian pineapple along with lemon and a butter-soaked artichoke bottom. Good acids and a nice mouth feel.
Bainbridge Island Winery 2000 siegerrebe, Puget Sound, $25 for a half-sized bottle - A sweet late harvest version of this grape that grows well on the west side of the Cascades. Gooseberry jam, pear and apricot flavors. Good perfume aromas and acids.
Hyatt Vineyard 2000 riesling, late harvest, $15 for a half-sized bottle - Apple aromas, some mustiness. Nice apple juice sweetness but not a lot of acid. Residual sugar is 7 percent.
Hells Canyon 2000 Retriever Red, Idaho, $15 - Outstanding. A great syrah-cabernet franc blend, smooth as silk and loaded with concentrated currants, cedar, tobacco and dark cherries. A deliciously crafted wine.
Kiona 1998 cabernet sauvignon, estate bottled, Yakima Valley $30 - Smoky oak and meat aromas with hints of tobacco. Lots of berries, vanilla extract and chocolate traces with a dry, chalky finish.
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