The difference a glass makes
It's one of those questions that sommeliers and wine professionals get asked a lot.
"Does the shape, size, and quality of the glass make a difference in the way the wine tastes?"
The answer, not surprisingly, is yes, it does matter — a lot.
"A great wine in the wrong glass at the wrong temperature can be a train wreck," says Boulder Wine Merchant owner, Boulder Burgundy Festival founder, and Master Sommelier Brett Zimmerman.
Above: Boulder Wine Merchant owner and Master Sommelier Brett Zimmerman has obtained the Riedel Burgundy glass for the Fourth Annual Boulder Burgundy Festival.
"If you do the Pepsi challenge by tasting a great wine out of a superior glass like the Riedel Burgundy glass" made from crystal "and a Libbey glass" made from glass, "you'll immediately smell and tast the difference."
One of the most important things about a crystal glass is that the crystal defuses heat much more easily than the thicker, heavier glass does.