Drink This Now 1, Lesson Three

It's all about that glassware!!! 

White White: Riesling

Shot

• Smell: Very pungent, strong smelling. Honestly can’t tell if I am about to take a shot of wine or liquor.  
• Drink: That was extremely bitter and acidity. I found not one hint of floral, fruitiness in thi shot.

Rocks glass

• Smell: I am smelling stronger scents of apricots, still smells bitter and pungent. I smell more of the wine because there is a greater surface area.
• Drink: I can actually taste the fruit when drinking from this glass. This glass is better or I am just getting tipsy.

Typical water glass

• Smell: I do not smell the pungent, strong smell anymore. I faintly smell apricots. I am not getting a great smell of the wine because the glass is so tall.
• Drink: I do not like wine from this glass. I will never drink wine from a normal water glass ever. Tastes like straight alcohol.

Smaller wine glass

• Smell: This smells the same as when I smelled the rocks glass but it is not as strong. I am starting to get more of the floral, fruity aroma.
• Drink: This glass was sweeter and started to bring out the fruity melon and apricot tastes. Much better than having to shoot wine down my throat.  

Flared wine glass (actually a marg glass)

• Smell: Surprised because I can barely smell the wine. I figured because there was more surface area it would be a greater smell than the smaller wine glass. I faintly smell the apricots (which is the only fruit standing out to me).
• Drink: This drinking glass made the wine taste very strong and pungent. I do not taste any fruit just straight alcohol.

Bowl

• Smell: I barely smell the wine which is what I expected after the flared wine glass sniff test. I still faintly smell the apricots and that’s how I can tell it is wine not water.
• Drink: This bowl makes the wine taste like water, very dangerous. My favorite drinking glassware so fair.

Red Wine: Shiraz

Shot

• Smell: My first impression is that this wine smells like yeast. It is hard for me to smell any fruit flavors in this wine. Smells like leather.
• Drink: It tastes like death. I will never take Shiraz out of a shot glass ever again. Yikes, I am scared for the rest of the drinks.

Rocks glass

• Smell: This smells more like fruit to me, I get hints of cherry and plum. This smells more appealing to me.
• Drink: Still tastes like death. I feel like I need to go brush my teeth because they just got stained. This wine is so heavy and I am not a fan.

Typical water glass

• Smell: Unlike the white wine, I can smell this wine in this glass - that is how strong this wine is. Nice hints of cherry and plum.
• Drink: Actually this glass makes the wine taste better. It is less bitter and I am starting to taste the hints of plum and cherry.

Smaller wine glass

• Smell: This smells more tannic and bitter to me in this glass. It smells like dirt, not fruit smells here.
• Drink: Makes the hair stand up on my arms. I am convinced there is not fruit in this wine. Ugh just straight alcohol.  

Flared wine glass (actually a marg glass)

• Smell: This smells fainter to me and frankly, more appealing. There is no smell of yeast or leather. I smell plums.
• Drink: Still tastes nasty. I just hate this wine. This glass was easier to drink from than the small wine glass. Adding water might help.

Bowl

• Smell: I don’t smell anything which surprises me. There is not a strong alcohol smell, fruit smell, or even leather smell.
• Drink: This is so pungent and bitter. All I taste is bitterness. There is no fruit at all.

Lesson Three: Warming the Red 

After warming the small wine glass and the flared, big glass I could smell a difference. The small wine glass smelled more floral and fruity while the bigger glass smelled more faint but pungent. The taste difference was that the smaller glass after warming was still bitter with faint hints of plum. The warmed bigger glass was also still bitter with faint hints of plum.

Overall, this was a really fun exercise. Unfortunately I think I hate both wines that were used in the making of this blog but other than that it was super cool to see the effect different shapes have on the smells and tastes of wine.