The world of wine can be magically complex. But I can understand that many of the things that fascinate me are the ones that can discourage most people. I totally agree with the idea that a specially designed glass can take the experience of a wine from a certain variety to the next level. I have seen it work in practice and it obviously is not
science fiction. The correlation and experience is equivalent to listening to your favorite record from a top sound system. Suppose the glass is part of the whole ritual.

      At the same time, the idea that every style of wine has its own glass scares me and I avoid opening discussions that I think make people feel "uncomfortable". I have been in the last twenty-five years of my adult life anyway
drink and I will drink, as most of you believe, wine from every possible or improbable container. At the top of my list of incredible experiences is the tasting of Filippi wines at Soave Castelcerino by Zalto Universal glasses. For those who have not heard of Zalto, this is the Rolls-Royce of glasses. I still remember the tarpaulin that had a pattern with lemons and green olive leaves (completely rustic-rustic phase) in the amazing farmhouse at the top of the hill. And on the canvas the extravaganza of 75 Zalto Universal (three in front of each person). The lined glasses should have cost roughly a trillion, but the Soave Castercerino 2012 test with 56 months of contact with the sludge in Zalto was a magical experience. After this trip I think it was we who decided that all the tastings we organize inside Mr Vertigo will be done only in Zalto glasses.

      Of course I have drunk wine in plain glasses and I have had a great time in taverns with friends, I have enjoyed evening baths with red wine served in paper coffee cups and the time is coming when I will dig up the ceramic cups from the time when my parents had a wheel in basement of the shop and made clay utensils for their hobby. Do not laugh, abroad there are pottery companies that design clay containers to drink your wine. As you can understand, the nostalgia for techniques and equipment of an earlier era, such as the clay amphorae that returned to even the most innovative wineries, spread even to the glasses.
However, I am not at all spoiled by the idea of ​​drinking an Orange Santameriana by Sant ’Or or a Metaphysician of a Slave in a ceramic mug. I do not care about their cloudy color, nor to locate their aromas, nor the balance of tannins and acidity. I want to taste, to be initiated, to be left without prejudices and why not to feel the unexpected pleasure of stealing a second from the past.

      Basically through my classic chatter I want to simplify things. At the end of the day you are free to drink what you want, eat what you like and use whatever glass is available in front of you. And also know that putting a few sommeliers together to decide what their favorite Riedel glass for Malaguzia is (we've tried it before) is like putting a bunch of little ones my niece's age to decide what it is. their favorite cookie.

      So stay simple. For most of us, the idea of ​​a different glass for each variety or style of wine at home is practically impossible for spatial reasons. A dozen Spiegelau Festival glasses or other similar brands for whites and one for reds are a great start. You can also serve your champagne in white, especially if we are talking about excellent "juices" like Benoit Lahaye or Alexander Filaine, which it is good to treat more like Burgundy and not as sparkling wines. If even the two different types seem too much you can get a passe-partout for all uses. The minimum criteria that must be met are that the glass is relatively thin, the bowl is large enough to allow intense shaking of the wine (do not fill the glass more than 1/3) and a conical shape that closes inwards so to retain and concentrate the aromas of the wine. There are many options at whatever cost you can imagine available out there. Give yourself a gift a pair of Zalto, one for you and one for your partner, for that moment when you want to enjoy a special wine experience. The feeling of knowing will be the same as you feel every time the plane's wheels leave the ground. The perfection of Zalto, apart from the aesthetic part, is due to the fact that their presence is almost invisible between you and the wine. Now if you ask me which of the glasses to choose, I will not answer. It's like telling me if I want my Rolls-Royce white or black… In any case I will have bought a Rolls-Royce. We just said things…

Grigoris Michailos Dip WSET