Winston's Wisdoms - A WineEnthusiast.com Blog » Glassware

PolyCarbonate Glasses: A Warm-Weather ‘Must’ by Erika S.

Erika S. — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:16:41 +0000

As the weather heats up, outdoor entertaining and BBQ’s are on the mind. For a successful party, it is crucial to be armed with casual, elegant glassware that will impress your guests and avoid headaches for you! Shattered glassware on an outdoor patio is never fun to clean up. For this reason, we are excited to offer our new, Unbreakable PolyCarbonate Stemware. These glasses are crafted from a sturdy polycarbonate material which is unbreakable yet thin enough to be elegant. We offer them in varietal-enhancing shapes like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet , Champagne and more. These are the stems you cannot live without this season! We put the polycarbonate stems to the test in our video demo, check it out here:

Click here to view the embedded video.

We Stand Behind Fusion Stemware: The World’s Most Break-Resistant Glasses by Erika S.

Erika S. — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:43:18 +0000

In these trying economic times, the last thing anybody wants to do is re-purchase broken wine glasses because you knocked one over and broke it. When you purchase a vessel for your wines, you want it to be elegant and long lasting. Our popular line of Fusion stemware certainly fits that bill. The glasses are so elegant in their design, that they’re often mistaken for more expensive brands. Yet the glasses are so strong, they can handle any knockdowns by clumsy guests. We even recommend that you put them in the dishwasher. Fusion is European crystal fused with super-strong magnesium to form a durable, lightweight, graceful wine glass. As we say, Fusion is truly “science meets sophistication.”

We’ve always been proud of our Fusion line, but with our new 10-Year Limited Warranty, we have something to stand behind.

We promise that if you purchase our Fusion stemware and it breaks within 10 years, we’ll replace it for free, you just take care of shipping and handling. In the unlikely event that this occurs, we have a Fusion Hotline, waiting to assist you at 800.648.6058.

Are you tired of broken glasses? We hear your frustration! Leave a comment, and fill us in!

Decanter Cleaning Made Easy by Erika S.

Erika S. — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:50:42 +0000

So you’re ready to take your wine enjoyment to the next level and experience all of the benefits of decanting like a more full aromatic bouquet and a softer glass of wine. You’ve seen many elegant decanters in all shapes and sizes like the Riedel Amadeo and even wild Massimo Lunardon animal decanters. As beautiful as these are, you may be wondering: “How in the heck do I clean one of those?
Luckily we offer a wide variety of cleaning accessories that are catered to specific decanter shapes. We have long cleaning brushes and beads that soak up red wine from the deepest decanter crevices and drying stands that prevent water spots. Here’s how they work:

Cleaning Beads: These little ingenuous beads are tossed into a decanter and mixed with water to clean the entire interior of the decanter. Best of all, these are a one-time investment as they can be reused again and again.

Decanter Cleaning Brush: This extra long brush can reach the bottom of the tallest decanters. There’s no need to use a crummy old sponge when you have a brush tailored to your decanter.

Stem Shine: If you’ve ever been frustrated with the cloudiness that regular dish detergent can leave, Stem Shine is a great solution. Squeeze some stem shine into your decanter and scrub with your decanter cleaning brush for a perfectly clean and sparkling decanter, every time.

Drying Stand: Our decanter drying stands hold your decanter perfectly in place as it air dries. We offer various shapes for each decanter type.

Now that you’ve learned how simple decanter cleaning can be, what are you waiting for? Select a decanter that catches your eye from our wide variety, then add-on some decanter cleaning products to keep it immaculate with every use.

Have you tried any of our decanter cleaning products? Which do you recommend? Leave a comment and let us know!

The Simplicity of Stemless Wine Glasses by Erika S.

Erika S. — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:41:01 +0000

As we move into the Summer months when outdoor entertaining is commonplace, stemless wine glasses are everywhere. These casual tumblers place the wine directly in your hand. Oddly enough, the popularity of stemless wine glasses is recent, with people adopting them wildly over the past few years.

With the launch of the Riedel “O” glass in 2004, stemless wine glasses became elegant. As the story goes, Maximilian Riedel (eleventh generation glassmaker from the Riedel family) lived in a small apartment with little space for tall stems. Many of us urban dwellers can empathize. Hence, he created the shorter, stemless, “O” glasses as a great solution. Max wanted a quality wine glass, that didn’t take up much space. Hence, Riedel created his own version of a high-end stemless wine glass.

These days, stemless wine glasses are a required vessel in all wine lover’s cabinets. When refinement is less important than simplicity, a stemless wine glass is a great solution. If you’re hosting a party with a lot of guests, stemless wine glasses can go directly in the dishwasher without the worry of stem breakage.

So one might ask, why did glasses have stems in the first place? For more serious tastings, the stem of a glass allows one to swirl the wine easily and evenly. It also prevents foggy hand prints which can muck up the look of your glass. Finally, holding a glass at its stem helps maintain the temperature of the wine. When a glass is held at the bowl, your warm hand can heat up the wine over time.

It all comes down to selecting the type of glass that suits your needs. Stemless or stemmed wine glasses is a personal choice and it may depend on the occasion. For summer entertaining, you may prefer stemless. We have a wide variety of stemless wine glasses in all shapes, patterns, and sizes perfect for any occasion. Our new “Fireworks U’s” are popular for July 4th, or try the more tailored Riedel ‘O’ Chardonnay or Riedel ‘O’ Cabernet. Why not stock up your cabinet with an assortment of stemless options? You can even personalize them, so you know which one is yours :)

Do you use stemless wine glasses at home? What’s your preference? Leave a comment, and let us know!

A Little Clarity on Wine Glasses by Carol K.

Carol K. — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:13:19 +0000

Each wine has something unique to offer your senses. Most wine glasses are specifically shaped to accentuate those defining characteristics, directing wine to key areas of the tongue and nose where they can be fully enjoyed. While wine can be savored in any glass, a glass designed for a specific wine type helps you to better experience its nuances.

Cabernet Sauvignon/Bordeaux Glasses

The large elongated bowl of this glass allows the wine’s aromas to build before reaching the nose. The opening of the glass directs wine to the front of the tongue where sweet receptors detect its luscious fruit flavors of black cherry and cassis. The full tapered bowl provides ample swirling room and concentrates the aromas at the rim for a full nose. Swirling also aerates the wine and softens the tannins.

Pinot Noir/Burgundy Glasses
This glass has a wide, short bowl to offer more surface area and less distance for subtle fruit aromas to reach the nose. It directs wine to the front of the mouth where the tongue tastes the delicate red fruit flavors and acids, characteristic of a Pinot Noir. The wide bowl offers plenty of swirling room to soften the tannins.

Chardonnay/Chablis Glasses
The fruit flavors of a Chardonnay or Chablis range from green apple to tropical fruit, depending on where it was produced. A Chardonnay/Chablis glass has a smaller bowl to focus on the delicate aromas of this fruity wine. The narrow opening delivers wine to the front of the tongue for fruit flavors to be savored. Less volume keeps the chilled wine at its ideal serving temperature longer.

Sauvignon Blanc/Pinot Grigio Glasses
The narrow shape of this bowl focuses the delicate aromas and delivers them straight to the nose, while minimizing warming. The narrow opening targets wine to the front and sides of the tongue where fruit flavors and acidity are detected. Sauvignon Blanc and Pino Grigio are clean, crisp-tasting wines with vibrant acidity, experienced best with the right glass.

Sparkling Wine/Champagne Glasses
Did you know a standard-size bottle of Champagne (once opened) has about 56 million bubbles! That’s a lot of bubbles to serve. The slender flute-shaped glass maintains a constant flow of bubbles to the palate, where the fizz, fruitiness, and acidity are fully enjoyed. The slender glass also maintains the chilled serving temperature of Champagne and sparkling wine.

Do you use different glasses for different wines? Post a comment and let us know!