Drink This Now! Lesson #2

 

Drink This Now Lesson #2

For my drink this now blog me and my friend, who is also taking Geography of Wine this semester decided to do lesson 2. This lesson is focused on how glassware change alter your perception of wine. For this lesson we had to pick a aromatic white wine and an aromatic red wine. I decided to get Kangaroo Ridge 2022 Shiraz for my red and the Barefoot Deliciously Sweet Moscato for my white wine. 

I had not tried either of these wines prior to doing this activity to ensure that I would be unbiased and get the full experience. While I’ve sampled and enjoyed several Moscato wines in the past, this was my first time tasting a Shiraz red wine. I typically enjoy wines that are on the sweeter side and have no enjoyed most of the red wines that I have tried. But I have really enjoyed being able to learn more about and try more wines while taking this class.  

For both the Shiraz red wine and the Moscato white wine I had the same line up of glassware. I had a total of 5 different shaped glasses. From left to right I ordered my glassware as follows: shot glass, large stemless wine glass that is narrow at the top, tall water glass, large flared wine glass, and lastly I used a large tupperware container as a substitute for the large fishbowl. 

I started with the Barefoot Deliciously Sweet Moscato. The first step was to use the shot glass as a measure and pour one shot into each glass. Next was the sniff test of the wine from each glass. After this we did the taste test from each glass to see the effect the glassware had. 

                           (I repeated this entire process for the Kangaroo Ridge Shiraz).

Barefoot Deliciously Sweet Moscato smell & taste results:

Shot glass: No strong aromas but I can smell a fruity aroma and citrus. The shot glass traps the aromas. 

Stemless wine glass that is narrow at the top: Fruity aroma is stronger, I was able to pick up more flavors/aromas. I got hints of lemon, and orange. 

Tall water glass: I can still smell the fruity and citrus aromas mentioned above. I also felt that I smelt more of alcohol scent. 

Large flared wine glass: The aromas in this glass was very strong like it was in the smaller wine glass. I picked up more fruity scents like orange and peach. The rim of the wine allows more scent to escape.

Large tupperware: I didn't smell that much in this container. I got some hints of the fruitiness but it wasn't strong. 

Taste test for the Moscato: I realized that the flavor was strongest in the wineglass that was narrow at the top and the flared wine glass. I think this is because most of our taste comes from our sense of smell, since the scents were enhanced in these glasses it made the flavor stronger. The large tupperware had the "weakest" flavor. With its large surface area the aromas are spread out and make the flavor not as strong. 

Kangaroo Ridge Shiraz smell & taste results:

Shot glass: Deep berry and jammy aromas

Large Stemless wine glass that is narrow at the top: Stronger berry and jammy scent; blackberry and plum.

Tall water glass: The scent was also strong in the glass I picked up the berry scents and a high alcohol scent.

Large flared wine glass: The scent was strongest in this glass. I smelt the blackberry, plum, and dark cherry scents, along with they spicy scent.

Large tupperware: It was much harder to smell the berry and spice in the container. I had to really put my whole face in the container to pick up the aromas. 

Shiraz red wine taste test: Once again, the large flared wine glass provided the most intense flavor experience. I detected rich notes of dark fruits like blackberry, plum, and cherry, complemented by hints of spice and oak. In contrast, the large Tupperware lowered the wine’s aromas because of its large surface area, which made the flavor not as strong. While I could still identify the same tasting notes, they were noticeably lowered compared to the wine glass.

What I learned from this activity: 

I realized that the size and shape of glassware have a significant influence on the strength of a wine’s aromas and flavors. Much of what we perceive as taste comes from our sense of smell, so it makes sense that a glass with some surface area (like a traditional wine glass), would preserve more aromas and flavors. In comparison to a glass with excessive surface area (like a fishbowl), which allows the aromas to escape quickly and diminishes both aroma and flavor.

Above is a photo of me drinking the Kangaroo Ridge Shiraz out of the large container.